


Gem and the Hunters: The Struggle for Angkor Wat

by asphodelknox



Series: The Adventures of Gem and the Hunters [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Eliza Styles stealing everybody's hearts, F/M, M/M, This ran away from me, a few near death experiences, a lot of food, actually lots of violence, and a happy ending yay!, and fight scenes, it ran away with me too, no one dies I promise, no one important anyways, there's some cuteness, there's some violence, which is random
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-25 07:29:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 48,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16656835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asphodelknox/pseuds/asphodelknox
Summary: The Adventures of Gemma Styles and her treasure hunters continues as the group ventures to the Far East in search of Lord Malik. What starts out as a journey to find a missing idol turns into a trek into their own hearts, desires, and futures.Or the one where Gemma is top of it in all aspects of her life (except one), Niall is more competent than any of them expect, Harry and Louis are oblivious idiots, and Liam hates Zayn... until he doesn't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When I started writing the first Gem and the Hunters, I never in a million years thought I'd be writing a series. But here we are with episode two just waiting to be read. I can't believe it. PSA: You don't have to have read the first Gem and the Hunters to enjoy this story, but there will be things you miss if you haven't. I suggest reading [Gem and the Hunters: The Treasure of Babylon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12250530/chapters/27836538), before diving into this story. 
> 
> I've never had such a fun experience writing a fic before. The characters just took off on their own, enlightening me to the story as we went along. I hope you'll enjoy reading their story as much I've enjoyed writing it. I've been consistently surprised, delighted, and thrilled while writing The Struggle for Angkor Wat. 
> 
> There is a bit of violence, a few near-death experiences, and a slew of angsty pining. If any of those things bother you, move along, please. If not, tell me your favorite scene or quote in the comments. :) 
> 
> I'd be nowhere without my amazing betas: [Vivi](http://hlficpraise.tumblr.com/) and [Tabby](http://suddenclarityharry.tumblr.com/). Thank you thank you thank you. 
> 
> **Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction with mature and/or explicit content that is not suitable for readers under the age of 18. I absolutely do not condone minors reading this work of fiction.

“Are you certain we’re going the right way, Harry? I feel like I’m about to melt.” 

Niall’s voice carried through the trees, thick and wet from the humidity. Harry chuckled. 

“Yes, Niall. I’m sure.” Harry replied. “I’m still as sure as I was when you asked fifteen minutes ago.” He was sure because Louis was sure. The entire journey through the jungle had been at Louis’s lead and Harry, while good at reading maps on his own, had learned more than he’d expected from Louis’s vast understanding of the world and of maps. Louis had an innate sense of direction and Harry had gotten more joy out of seeing Louis in his element than he’d expected.

He cut through some thick undergrowth and wiped the sweat off his brow. He winced at a blister on his hand. He wasn’t used to holding a machete as often as he had lately and he flexed his fingers, feeling his skin rougher than he was accustomed to.

“I hope this Malik person has a way to cool off.” Harry heard Niall mutter under his breath. “Mint leaves only do so much.”

“I must admit,” Liam said from behind Harry, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he stepped over tree roots and ducking under overhanging branches, “I didn’t expect it to be quite this humid.” 

“Really?” Louis’s high voice chimed in with a grunt as he swung at some low hanging branches just next to Harry. “Every single book we read in preparation for this trip said one thing about the Far East: wet and hot.”

‘That’s two things, Uncle Louis!” Eliza said with a giggle from her spot next to Liam. She had a smile on her face, and her wide eyes were taking in the country around them with bright, eager curiosity, even as she needed help over the high logs and fallen trees. 

“She really is your daughter, brother dear.” Gemma’s light voice carried a hint of exertion from her position at the back of the group, and Harry had to appreciate his sister’s tolerance. She hadn’t complained about the heat once.

Harry glanced back at his traveling companions and their sweaty brows, and Eliza’s little grunts of breath had him making an executive decision. “Let’s stop here for a moment.” He passed his water canteen to Eliza. “Drink up, treasure.” She giggled as the five adults collapsed to their knees around her. 

“Is anyone hungry?” Niall asked, setting his pack on the jungle floor and rifling through it. 

Gemma shot him a look. “Niall, we stopped for lunch an hour ago.” Just a few weeks prior, Liam had wondered out loud if Gemma and Niall had had a conversation that didn’t include some level of bickering since they’d left England. They’d just looked at him, rolled their eyes in unison and replied, “Of course we have, Liam,” before walking ahead of him.

“You really shouldn’t be surprised, Gemma,” Niall said, taking a bite out of an apple from his seemingly endless stock of them. “We left England months ago.” 

“Yes, yes, we should all be intimately familiar with each other’s eating habits,” Louis said, beckoning for Niall to toss him an apple, and catching it with ease. 

Harry held out his hands to Niall but missed catching his apple by a mile. Eliza giggled. 

“Well,” Gemma said, “I suppose I can’t say no to a stop. It  _ is _ rather humid.” She fanned her face with her hand. “Louis, did you notice the ruins we passed?” 

Harry chuckled to himself as Louis and Gemma began to gush about the ruins. It was obvious that the statues of what they could only suppose were deities had been majestic and impressive in their time, but had long since passed their prime - they were blanketed in vines that the group couldn’t name, lost to the jungle’s slow regrowth.

He glanced around at his traveling companions. Liam had leaned back against a nearby tree and was resting his eyes, Niall was chuckling at something Gemma said, and she rolled her eyes at him, turning away from Louis to take the apple Niall offered her. Eliza was examining a nearby flower, attempting to sketch it, her little hands clumsily holding her pencil. The donkeys were munching on greens and the sweet stray dog they’d acquired on the journey (Gemma had named her Garnet) had ambled over to sniff at Liam’s pockets.

Harry’s gaze fell to Louis, only to be caught off guard. Louis was already looking at him, his blue eyes smiling gently at Harry. Louis walked over to Harry, leaving Gemma and Niall to their conversation. 

Harry had discovered that Louis had two smiles: the one he used when he was purely happy about something and the one he used for Harry, and occasionally Eliza. Eliza had stayed near Louis’s side almost the entire journey, asking him questions, having him teach her to draw. Harry’s heart had done some fancy leaps when Eliza had asked Louis for a bedtime story and he’d come up with something grand and exciting on the spot. 

“You alright, Harry?” Louis asked as Gemma and Niall began bickering about the possible meaning of the statues they’d passed, Niall delivering theory after theory, each crazier and more harebrained then the last, Gemma taking them all in stride. 

Harry nodded. “I’m eager to find this Lord Zayn. I was hoping we’d have met him already, just by chance. I’d feel safer in the company of a Lord.” He hadn’t worried about Eliza exactly, but Harry found he was much more aware on this adventure. He didn’t know it was possible. “We’re getting close to the meetup point, maybe a day or two away, depending on how little legs hold up.” He nodded towards Eliza, who had moved on to doing a rub of a leaf in her book.

“I still can’t quite believe she outwitted us all,” Louis said, coming to sit next to Harry, their thighs pressing close. The group had purchased lighter, linen garb to bring with them, saving their thicker woolen clothes for the ship to and from England. Louis had said it made more sense to dress like the locals but Liam had put his foot down at walking around shirtless. Niall had laughed to himself for a mile when Liam finally let his shirt hang open, grumbling about the heat.

Harry could feel the curves of Louis’s thigh through their light linen pants. He steadied his breath and responded to Louis. “I shouldn’t be surprised,” Harry said with a sigh. “I would have the done the same thing at her age.” 

Harry shook his head to himself. He had promised Eliza that they would be home in six months, that he would write her often, that he would miss her every day. But it wasn’t enough for the precocious six-year-old. Eliza had snuck onto the train from London with them and Gemma and Louis had been so impressed, and Liam so worried, that Harry had acquiesced when his daughter looked at him with her big green eyes, asking to come along. 

Harry had worried that Eliza would be unable to keep up, that she would complain about the heat or the lack of mattresses, but instead, she observed the wider world with an exhilarated exuberance that Harry could only acknowledge as coming from himself.  

Besides, the journey had already taken much longer than six months.

They had taken a ship across the Mediterranean Sea, being deposited on the Eastern coast of India. They’d found a guide and began their trek through the jungle for several months. Eliza had marveled at their donkeys, taken an interest in the flowers around them, and had even spotted a tiger in the distance a few weeks prior that had Louis and Liam ushering a curious Niall, Eliza, and Gemma on while Harry watched carefully, in case it gave chase. 

It had been a peaceful trip to the east, the opposite of their journey to Babylon. They hadn’t encountered many other people, a few travelers, some small villages who were more interested in the cookware Niall had brought than the travelers themselves, and they’d bypassed some small groups of locals. There had been talk of revolts and rebel groups caused by Siam’s involvement in Vietnam, but they hadn’t encountered anything serious yet. Liam had made a comment a few days prior that he had a bad feeling; that things had been too easy. Harry didn’t want to trust Liam’s gut. 

He should have known better, really. Liam’s gut was hardly ever wrong. 

The group fell silent as they heard a crashing in the distance, something that sounded like an elephant and a great shout. Garnet perked up, whined once, then flicked her ears forward, her whole body shivering. Liam sat up slowly, listening carefully. Niall, Gemma, and Louis each stood, looking in different directions, and Eliza paused her drawing.

“Do you think..?” Niall started but didn’t finish as twenty masked men leaped out through the trees with a mighty yell. 

“Eliza, down!” Harry shouted and the next moment arrows flew through the air as Harry, Louis, Niall, Gemma, and Liam sprang into action. 

Eliza flopped onto her belly and crawled to the donkeys, Garnet following her closely. Harry had a split second decision between using his gun or his sword and pulled his sword out at the last minute, swiping off the shooting arm of the closest of one of the men. He turned and ran, grateful that Gemma had made them all brush up on their fencing skills, and surveyed the scene around him. 

Gemma and Niall were engaged in an intense hand to hand combat with three men, fighting back to back. 

“Fireworks, Niall!” She shouted and Niall threw something in the air that caused sparks, stunning their adversaries long enough for Niall to bash two their heads together, Gemma easily taking out the third by slicing at his stomach. Gemma whooped and dashed towards Liam who was tossing knives at five men running his way, taking each of them down with precision. 

“Gemma, care to assist me?” Liam said calmly, as she buried her knife in the back of a man sneaking up on Liam. 

“Gladly!” She said, and she and Liam acted against another three men. 

Harry glanced around, his heart leading his feet as he saw one of the men pick up Eliza, who kicked and screamed and flailed. Garnet barked and growled, tugged on the man’s shirt, bit at his leg, but another man kicked her in the stomach. She whimpered and Eliza shrieked, and Harry felt more than saw both him and Louis run at the men trying to take Eliza. There were five of them, the sixth holding Eliza and Harry almost panicked as they made for the forest. 

From his left, Harry saw a brown blur and Niall tossed another sparkler at the group, causing three of the men to dash into the forest, and distracting the other three long enough for Louis to swoop in and scoop up Eliza just as Harry reached her. Garnet was barking, and Harry swung his sword, the men dashing off into the jungle, the sparks from Niall’s firework lighting their path. 

The five of them, Harry with his sword, Niall bouncing another firework in his hand, Gemma and Liam each holding knives, and Louis, a sword in one hand and Eliza on his hip, turned to the last man of the group, who dropped his bow and ran into the forest. 

They sighed collectively and Liam groaned, walking forward and picking up the bow. He stretched his neck side to side, running his hands along the bow. 

“I can tell it’s been several months since we’ve had a good fight.” He said, reaching his arms above him so his back popped. He made a makeshift harness for the bow, wrapping it around his torso so the bow rested in easy reach on his back.

Louis and Eliza walked up to Harry, and Eliza held out her arms, wrapping her arms around Harry’s neck as he pulled her to his chest. Louis was breathing heavily, and Harry looked down at Eliza’s face anxiously. She wasn’t crying, just wide-eyed and he could feel her heart beating furiously in her little chest. 

“Can we call that a real fight?” Niall asked, stowing away his firework and calling Garnet over to check her stomach where she’d been kicked. She leaned against his legs and licked his face as he scratched her head. “It was over before it started.”

“Mostly because of your fireworks,” Gemma said. She walked over the Harry, Eliza, and Louis, and rubbed Eliza’s back. “Thank you, Niall.” 

Niall looked up at Gemma in surprise. “You’re welcome.” 

Liam paced around them, rounding up the donkeys. He, Gemma, and Niall set to readying everyone to get moving again and Harry tucked his head down to whisper in Eliza’s ear. 

“Are you alright, treasure?” He asked. 

She nodded. “Garnet was protecting me, Papa.” 

“You were very brave and very smart to fight back like that,” Harry said, rubbing her back. 

“So I can be a good fighter like Auntie Gemma?” Eliza perked up a bit but kept her arms tight around Harry’s neck.

Louis, who had stayed close much to Harry’s relief, chuckled. “Your Auntie Gemma is the best fighter, Eliza.” He said warmly, wiping a bit of dirt off her face. “You’ll be like her in no time.” 

Eliza nodded and reached out a hand towards Louis. He took a step closer and she patted his cheek, rough from not shaving for a few days. “Thank you, Uncle Louis, for saving me from the bad men.” 

Harry and Louis chuckled. “We’ll always protect you, Eliza,” Louis said as Gemma, Niall and Liam started herding the donkeys, Garnet trotting alongside them and Harry, Louis, and Eliza following behind. “You’ll be safe with us.” 

Eliza nodded again and reached for Louis’s hand, pulling him closer to Harry as they walked. The two men walked shoulder to shoulder, Eliza sighing heavily as they walked. 

They carried on, Louis and Harry still walking close due to Eliza’s death grip on Louis’s hand. Harry didn’t mind a bit. 

“I do hope we meet Lord Malik tomorrow,” Harry said, his voice soft so as not to disturb Eliza. 

“I do as well,” Louis said. “We ran out of tea and I’m hoping his companions will share.” 

Harry chuckled. “We should get the biggest bag of tea we can find when we leave for home.” Louis’s tea habit was one of Harry’s favorite things to tease him about. 

Louis rolled his eyes fondly. “That would be splendid. And expensive. I’d rather bring home a live elephant.” 

The two men chuckled, and Harry couldn’t help but notice that the next time their shoulders brushed, Louis didn’t try to step away. Eliza’s grip was loosening, no doubt she was falling asleep after almost being kidnapped, but Louis stayed close.

Harry was almost positive Eliza was asleep when all of a sudden, she popped her head up from where she’d been resting on Harry’s chest. 

“Papa! I lost my favorite pencil in the jungle!” She pouted. “I think the donkeys crushed it when the mean men were there.” 

Louis and Harry exchanged a look, both trying not to laugh. 

“Don’t worry, Eliza,” Louis said. “I’ve got extra pencils. I know how much you like my blue one.” 

Eliza nodded happily and relaxed back into Harry’s chest. He sent Louis a grateful look and Louis smiled back, the smile that was usually just for Harry. 

Eliza chuckled. “Papa, your heart is beating fast.”

Harry blushed. When he glanced over at Louis, he saw his friend’s cheeks were pink too. 

\----

The fight left Niall invigorated and as they continued on, he felt better than he had in several weeks. The jungle, he’d found, was both his friend and his enemy, and while he hated the heat, he also was discovering new plants and foods. He was gathering samples to bring back with him and writing down what he learned from wise men and women in the towns they visited along the way.

Louis occasionally teased him about his fascination with the plants and fruits of the region but Niall had stopped Louis from munching on poison fruit more than once.   

And they’d used his knowledge plenty of times in recent weeks. For the first six weeks, they’d had a guide, but had been later abandoned when their guide received a better offer. Louis and Gemma looked over the maps and were confident they could find the rest of the way to Lord Malik’s meet up point. Niall was grateful he’d paid enough attention to their guide. He’d said it on their way to Babylon and he was saying it again: he wanted everyone to make it out alive. 

The jungle was different than anything else they’d ever seen. Everything felt thick: the trees, the air, the dew in the mornings, the heat. Niall had never really understood the meaning of the term “blanketing” until they’d arrived in the jungle. Trees with massive trunks stood higher than any tree he’d seen in the forests in England. Roots emerged from the ground as thick as a man (Niall, of course, teased Liam mercilessly about being thick as a tree root), and new kinds of birds, fruits, bugs, and leaves came at them from every direction.

The heat made them sluggish, the humidity made them constantly damp, and the new animals put them on the alert all hours of the day. They’d spent a month and a half researching before leaving London and had spent the two month trip across the Mediterranean doing more research and still, Niall felt like they were gambling with their lives by walking through such dangerous and unknown territory without a guide.

It wasn’t bad, all things considered. Eliza and Harry kept them in high spirits, Gemma kept them laughing, Niall made sure everyone was fed, and Liam made sure no one got distracted or strayed too far, letting Louis lead the way. If he had to perilously trek through an unknown jungle with anyone, Niall preferred his closest friends. 

But he wouldn’t complain about being a bit cooler. He sighed as they walked and pulled a fruit off a tree they passed as the group walked. He’d been slowly collecting fruit from the trees, adding them to a knitted bag he’d slung on the back of his pack. 

“Do you know if that’s safe to eat?” Liam asked from his right, coming into stride with Niall.  

Niall nodded. “One of the villages we passed about a month ago had a grove of these trees. They’re pretty good.” He pulled his knife out of his pocket and peeled off a slice, passing it to Liam. “Besides, I have a bit of a knack for plants.” 

“And food,” Liam said, swallowing the piece of fruit and holding his hand out for another with a cheeky grin. 

Niall cut him another slice, munching on his own. Harry and Louis were up ahead, as usual, their matching linen pants brushing the plants out of the way, machetes in hand to cut through anything thicker. Niall never thought he’d be grateful for Louis’s impeccable sense of direction but he found himself trusting his friend more than he’d ever suspected. Babylon really was just a one-off. 

Gemma and Eliza were walking amongst the three pack donkeys, and Garnet trotted along next to them. Occasionally, Eliza would ride one of the donkeys with the lightest load, but she was as stubborn and gung-ho as Gemma and while her little legs were slow, Eliza never backed down from a challenge. 

In typical Eliza fashion, she was wearing a smaller version of Gemma’s outfit: light linen pants, tucked into sturdy boots and a loose blouse that fluttered in the breeze. Once Eliza had seen Gemma braid her long brown hair, Eliza had wanted exactly the same hairstyle. Now, she and Gemma were giggling about something and talking animatedly. Niall almost called ahead to ask what it was but Liam spoke instead. 

“You know, I’ve known you for almost a year and I’ve never asked why you are so interested in explosives,” Liam said. 

Niall appreciated several things about Liam, but one of his favorite things was Liam’s ability to carry on a conversation. He could make anyone feel at ease and he never beat around the bush. If he had something to say, he’d just say it. 

“The Forty Thieves first encouraged my love of plants, actually,” Niall said. “They had me mixing poisons, but I really enjoyed the other things I could make that helped people feel better.” He thought for a moment. “Playing around with plants and herbs and remedies wasn’t that far away from playing with other elements and I accidentally made my first explosive when I was testing the properties of something else. I’ve loved it ever since.” He chuckled at the memory. 

Half his workshop had been tinted with flame and he’d had to reorder several ingredients. But he had been fascinated with fire and explosives ever since. And as a beneficial aside, it had spurred him on to start his garden so he would have his own ingredients rather than having to order them.

“It was a natural progression.” Niall continued. “I was fifteen, I think when I built my first firework. I set it off for my mum’s birthday.” 

“Did she like it?” Liam asked, accepting the slice of fruit Niall handed him. 

“She did,” Niall said. “She always encouraged me and her friends always came to me for remedies for different ailments. A few friends at university joked that it was women’s work but there’s nothing like seeing someone feel better just from something I’d made out of leaves and flowers. My mother was always proud of me for it.” 

He had to hide his grimace. Talking about his mother was hard, no matter who was asking. He had so many fond memories of her… he just hated thinking about the last one. 

“Did she get to see you open your own apothecary?” Liam asked. 

Niall shook his head. “No, I took it over after she passed away. She had managed it as a cover of sorts for the Forty Thieves. I didn’t want to abandon them. And I enjoy the work.” 

“You seem to. I’ve never known someone quite as interested in plants as you.” Liam remarked with a chuckle. 

Niall shrugged good-naturedly. “Plants are just as interesting as humans and sometimes, more useful. They’re less complicated.” He hadn’t meant that last phrase to slip out but he couldn’t help it. He was finding himself more and more comfortable with Liam. 

“Less complicated?” Liam said, looking at Niall expectantly. “What does that mean, exactly?” 

Niall didn’t answer right away, so Liam nudged him. 

“It almost sounds like you have a history.” Liam teased gently. “Have you ever been in love?” 

Niall looked down at his feet, step after step on the green jungle floor. He sighed. 

“No, I haven’t.” 

“Why’s that?” Sometimes Niall  _ didn’t _ appreciate Liam’s straightforward tendencies.

How could he answer a question like that? It was so much more complicated than just saying he still hadn’t come to terms with his mother’s death. He’d never allowed himself the opportunity. How could he when he hadn’t been able to keep the most important woman in his life safe?

Niall shrugged. “Never met the right person, I guess,” he mumbled. 

If Liam caught on to Niall’s discomfort, he didn’t let on and instead steered the conversation to other topics. 

It made Niall wonder… no one but Louis knew the story of his mother’s death. He’d never trusted anyone else to know the truth. Perhaps though, Liam and Gemma and Harry were trustworthy enough. 

Louis finally stopped them after a few more hours of walking and hacking their way through the jungle. Eliza was sitting on one of the donkeys, Liam had gone to walk by her, and Gemma had found her way in step with Niall. 

“What’s for dinner, Niall?” Gemma asked with a teasing grin as they unloaded the donkeys and began to set up camp. “I know you were thinking about it on our walk today.” 

Niall rolled his eyes with a grin. “I don’t constantly think about food, Gemma. Just most of the time.” It was a lie and he knew Gemma knew he didn’t actually think about food as much as she teased, but he didn’t mind the teasing. It took his mind off things. 

Gemma shrugged innocently. “Food or fire.” She winked and Niall had to grin as he watched her walk away, carrying one of the canvas tents. Her smirk was burned into his eyelids and he found he liked making her laugh. 

“She really can be a trip,” Harry muttered as he and Niall staked the donkeys’ leads into the grass. “Don’t get too invested in besting her at a game of wit. She’ll beat you.” 

“I don’t mind being beat,” Niall said, as they left the donkeys water and rejoined the group. “The game is fun enough.” 

“Better you than me,” Harry said. He walked over to Eliza, picking her up and walking into the tent, probably to change before dinner and bed. 

Niall knelt down next to Liam, who already had a fire going. Niall arranged the iron grate he carried on his pack over the flames and placed a skillet on top. 

“Truly,” Louis asked as he sat next to the fire, “what  _ is  _ for dinner, Niall?” Louis bore a look of innocence on his face but his eyes danced with mirth. Niall shoved Louis’s shoulder, tipping him over and Liam laughed. Niall chuckled good-naturedly. 

“We’ve got a bit of fish left and I picked a bunch of fruit on the walk today,” Niall said, laying out the fish with a bit of oil from his bag. “It’ll do.” For all the teasing, he did enjoy being in charge of meals. He liked seeing what he could make just from some ingredients and his own brain.

“I think we’ve all said this at least once,” Liam said, “but I’m very eager to meet Lord Malik tomorrow.” 

“I am too,” Louis said. “We can finally get going on this treasure hunt after all this traveling.” 

“It feels a bit like a treasure hunt to find Lord Malik in the first place,” Niall said. “I’ll be ready for someone to teach me more about what is available to eat in the area.” 

“You really do think about food all the time.” Liam teased and Niall shoved him this time. 

“Food is medicine, Liam,” Niall said. The fish sizzled and he began cutting up fruit. Garnet sat by him and whined at him for a bite, which he gave her. She licked his hand in thanks.

Niall liked Garnet. At first, he’d been a bit skeptical, but she’d been a perfect guard dog and she’d stuck close to him most of the time. He was sure it was because he was the one with food but, he didn’t mind either way. He liked her company. Garnet had taken to sleeping at his feet each night and her sleep wheezes and occasional dog dreams cheered him up after any long walk through the jungle. 

“I think we’ll reach the meeting point tomorrow around midday,” Louis said as Harry sat down next to him. Gemma sat between Louis and Niall with a contented sigh, her journal tucked between her knees. Niall tried not to think too hard about her shoulder grazing his. 

“I hope he hasn’t been held up anywhere,” Harry said. “It’s a bit amazing as it is that we’ve found the meeting point within the time frame we originally planned.” 

“I still think things are going too smooth,” Liam said. 

“We were attacked less than six hours ago, Liam,” Harry said with a thoughtful frown. 

“Yes, but that was a one-off,” Liam said. “Probably some rebels running through the woods like we were warned of.” 

“Let’s discuss our concerns later,” Niall said, making a pointed look to Eliza who was looking at Liam curiously. “Dinner is ready.” He gestured to the skillet, passing out plates and utensils and dishing up a smaller portion for Eliza. 

“Thank you, Uncle Niall.” She said and Niall grinned. 

“You’re very welcome, Eliza.” He said and she plopped down on the jungle floor next to him. He leaned back between Gemma and Eliza and listened to Eliza babble until it was her bedtime. Harry put her to bed and came back out. They sat around the fire for a few more minutes, but despite the concerns they’d mentioned, everyone went to bed not long after Eliza. The still unfamiliar sounds of the jungle lulled them to sleep, each of them ready for their waiting to be over. 

\----

Gemma paused her step for a moment, glancing around her. Harry and Louis kept walking, Liam and Garnet herded the donkeys past her, but she continued to stare at the tree in front of her. Something was off… her gut was telling her they’d been here before.

“Oy,” Niall shouted ahead as he came to stand next to her. “Wait up, Louis.” Louis stopped and the group came to a halt. Niall glanced at the tree too. “You alright, Gems?” 

Gemma frowned at the tree and turned to Niall, the nickname breezing through her mind in light of her hypothesis. “Have we passed this tree before?” She asked quietly. Niall raised his eyebrows but gave the tree a thorough look up and down. His eyes widened. 

“Louis…” He said, beckoning Louis over with his hand. Louis walked back to them, a concerned look on his face. Niall turned to face him. 

“Louis,” Gemma said, keeping her voice low as Harry and Liam distracted Eliza. “Have we passed this tree before? We did take two left turns.” 

It was Louis’s turn to give the tree a hard stare and he sighed heavily and nodded. “I was afraid of that.” 

Niall’s eyes widened comically wide and Gemma would have giggled if the potential for them to be lost wasn’t right in their faces. 

“We passed the meeting point for Lord Malik about half an hour ago,” Louis said. “The coordinates he gave us were a wide area so I figured we could search around a bit.” 

“So we’re back where we started?” Gemma asked. Louis nodded. 

“I thought you were going to say we were lost,” Niall said, sounding relieved. 

“Not lost,” Louis said. “But Lord Malik isn’t here.” 

Niall looked helplessly between Louis and Gemma. “So what do we do?” 

Louis and Gemma exchanged a glance. “Perhaps we should make camp here for a few days,” Gemma said. “Give us time to recoup and rest. Hopefully, Lord Malik is only a few days away.” 

Louis nodded. “I hope so. We’ll have to go hunting or fishing soon.” 

“We’re almost out of dried meat.” Niall agreed. He said this in a tired manner that had Gemma feeling a bit worried. “I’ve got a few dry goods that could last us a few days though and I can do a bit of hunting tomorrow.” 

There were footsteps behind them and Harry and Liam joined the group, Eliza in Harry’s arms.

“I think we should camp here for a few days,” Gemma said, in answer to the confused looks on Harry and Liam’s faces. “Lord Malik is supposed to meet us in this area.” 

Harry nodded once. “And he isn’t here.” He said it as a statement and Gemma should have known Louis would have filled her brother in on his musings. She felt a twinge of melancholy. Her late husband, Eddie, would have loved an adventure like this. It would have been nice to share it with someone. 

“It’s late, anyways. We’ve walked most of the day,” Liam said, walking over to the donkeys. “I could use a bit of a rest.” 

The group dispersed, and within half an hour they’d erected their campsite. The two canvas tents stood side by side under the branches of a large tree and Gemma could hear Niall stoking a fire just outside them while talking with Louis. Gemma rolled out her bedroll next to Eliza’s and picked up her journal. If they were going to be in the same place for a while, she wanted to get a bit of writing in.

She stepped outside the tent, grinning as Liam dashed in front of her. Eliza came trotting after him, Garnet on her heels, and Liam pretended to fall to the ground. Eliza jumped on him and squealed in delight. Garnet licked his face and Gemma couldn’t help but chuckle. 

Harry and Niall were chatting by the fire and Louis was sitting on a tree root not far away. He had his trusty notebook out, a serious look on his face. Gemma made her way over to him. 

“Are you worried?” Gemma asked as she sat next to him. Louis looked up at her, his hair falling into his eyes. 

“A little,” Louis said, tapping the map that rested in the center of his journal. “I’m not sure what we do if we don’t find Lord Malik. We can’t camp here forever, and it would be disheartening to have to turn back.” 

“We don’t have any way of contacting him,” Gemma added. 

“We’re safer on the move, especially with Eliza,” Louis started, “but I think you’re right… we might need to stay put for a few days. If Lord Malik is looking for us, and I sincerely hope he is, he’ll find us easier if we’re in one place.” 

Gemma nodded. “I agree. Niall seems confident that he can find us enough to eat, so I’m not worried about that. A rest would do us all good, I’m sure.” Gemma glanced down at the map. 

The jungle was not somewhere she wanted to be lost and while Gemma normally encouraged taking risks, being in a strange place with a child in tow was not a recipe for successful risk-taking. 

The map in Louis’s lap had his scribbles all over it, some of her own notes and those of Harry interspersed between Louis’s comments. She at least knew where they were on the map. There was a village fifteen miles away and a large river fifteen miles beyond that. They weren’t alone but it was easy to get turned around and Louis and Liam had kept them on track with care and precision. 

“How long should we wait?” Louis asked, looking up from his notebook. 

Gemma noticed the tinge of concern in Louis’s eyes. It hadn’t yet turned to fear which comforted her. 

“A few days. We’ll need to get moving again soon.” Gemma said. “We know the tentative location of the temples… we can aim for those?” 

Louis nodded. “It would at least make this whole trip worth it if we can see those.” 

Gemma felt the beginnings of a smile on her face. “Can you imagine?” She asked. 

Louis shook his head incredulously. “We’d be the second group of people from the West to see them.” 

“It is rather exciting, isn’t it?” Gemma said, and Louis grinned at her. 

“Harry would be more excited over our reactions than the temples themselves, I think,” Louis said, his cheeks tinged pink. Gemma took the opportunity. She’d wanted to talk to Louis about something for a few weeks. 

“You and my brother certainly seem close.” She commented. Louis’s cheeks turned red. She smiled at him. “I like you, Louis. Harry cares for you.” Louis let out a sigh at this. “And I can tell you care for him too.” 

Louis nodded, tucking his hands under his thighs. “I do.” He said quietly. 

“Good,” Gemma said. “I hoped so.” Louis whipped his face up to look her in the eye. “You just better be damn careful with him and Eliza.”

“I…” He stuttered. “I’d never want to… hurt him. Or Eliza. I care for her too.”

“You won’t,” Gemma said. “You’d be good for them.” She glanced over at her brother and Niall talking over the fire. “But he’s a bit thick headed. He won’t see a good thing right in front of him.” 

“Do I need to make a big proclamation of my love for him?” Louis said, quickly so the words all blurred together. Gemma didn’t miss the word “love” in the question. She tried to suppress a smile. Louis loved her brother. Wonder of wonders.  _ Can you believe it, Eddie? _ Gemma thought to herself, wishing like she always did when big things happened in her and Harry’s lives, that Eddie was still there to see them. _ Harry has someone in love with him. _

Gemma shrugged, tucking her longing for Eddie away. “No. But you should tell him.” 

There was silence for a few moments. Gemma wondered what Louis was thinking and was in the middle of predicting how long it would take for her brother and friend to get their act together when Louis spoke. 

“I want to.” He said it so quietly, Gemma wasn’t sure she’d heard. But he continued talking and there was no question as to what he was saying. “I plan to. Before we return home.” 

Gemma couldn’t help herself. She gave Louis a hug and whispered in his ear. “I’m so glad.” 

Louis gave her a squeeze back and chuckled. “Thanks, Gems.” The nickname had Gemma glancing over at Niall. He and Harry were laughing about something, Niall poking at whatever he had cooked for dinner. 

Gemma wasn’t sure exactly when it started. Somewhere between London and the jungle, she’d found Niall by her side. While Harry and Louis had become practically inseparable and Liam was teaching Eliza to fence and defend herself, Niall and Gemma had fallen into step more often than not. 

She pulled away from Louis, uncertain what to think about Niall but one hundred percent certain about her feelings regarding Harry and Louis. They were an inevitability. Niall however… he would require a bit of analyzing. 

Liam and Eliza came running to Gemma and Louis, startling Gemma out of her thoughts. Louis leaped up and pretended to growl, sending Eliza shrieking in delight and running the other way. Louis gave chase and Gemma laughed as Liam ran after them, waving his sword around. 

“This doesn’t qualify as sword practice, Louis,” Liam shouted, even as he had a grin plastered across his face. Garnet trotted after Liam, barking happily.

“Catch me, Uncle Louis! Catch me!” Eliza cried, running behind Niall and Harry. Harry tried to grab her but she slipped away, dashing back over to Gemma.

“Auntie Gems, hide me!” Eliza ducked behind Gemma, clutching at her thighs. Louis skidded to a stop in front of Gemma, grunting as Liam ran into him.

“Gemma, have you seen an Eliza sort of creature anywhere?” Louis said with pretend curiosity. 

Eliza giggled from behind Gemma. Gemma shrugged, acting confused. “Can’t say that I have, Louis.” Eliza giggled again. 

“Auntie Gems, I’m right here!” Eliza shouted with a giggle and darted out from behind Gemma, dashing in between Louis and Liam’s legs, and out of their reach. Gemma, Liam, and Louis both made to chase after her, only to stop almost immediately to laugh out loud. 

Niall was holding her upside down, an arm around her waist, her little legs flailing in the air, dangerously close to his face. He had a cheeky grin on his face and Harry was doubled over in laughter on the jungle floor. Garnet sat at Niall’s feet, wagging her tail and panting. 

“Uncle Niall,” Eliza whined, giggling even as she pretended to pout. 

“Is this the Eliza sort of creature you were looking for, Louis?” Niall said, winking at Gemma. She covered her mouth to hide her laughter. 

Louis walked over and bent over to line his face up to Eliza’s. He tapped his chin, hummed a few times, then let out a bright “Eureka! It’s her!”, followed by Louis and Niall tickling Eliza so she shrieked in glee. 

Harry jogged over and rescued his daughter from the tickle attack, and the six of them collapsed on the forest floor, all smiles and giggles. Louis had his head resting on Harry’s shoulder, Eliza was hiccuping and giggling, Liam was lying on his back and shaking from laughter, and Niall was grinning from ear to ear, Garnet laying her head on his knee. Gemma caught his eye and they exchanged a smile. 

The brightness of Eliza’s playtime lasted them the rest of the day and through the night. It made them smile when they left their campsite two days later in search of Lord Malik, the lightness in their step spurring them on as they traveled further into the jungle.  

But the cheer slowly wore off and a week later, Gemma stopped them once again, the pit in her stomach curling around in a combination of hunger and dread. Liam slowed the donkeys, Louis and Harry came back to where Gemma stood, and Niall found his way to her side once more, each of them looking exhausted and haggard. Eliza had been uncharacteristically quiet and Louis was rubbing his forehead, the map in his hand shaking.

“Louis, I think we have to face the facts,” Gemma said, tiredly. Louis nodded slowly, glancing to the rest of the group. “It’s not your fault,” Gemma added. It was no one’s fault. They were in unfamiliar territory. Gemma was surprised it hadn’t happened yet.

“Are we…?” Liam started. 

Louis looked at Gemma, and much of the pain and uncertainty she’d seen in his eyes before they left for Babylon had found its way back to him. It made the truth even harder to accept. She rested a hand on his arm and Harry shifted closer to Louis, pressing their shoulders together.

Louis spoke quietly but the words reverberated in their chests and settled like thorns around their hearts. 

“We’re lost.” 

——-

They were silent for a few moments. Harry took in his companions, letting his hand rest on Louis’s lower back. Eliza sleepily leaned against Louis, Niall glanced back and forth between Louis, who Harry didn’t have to look at to know that he looked miserable, and Gemma, who looked ready to solve all the world’s problems and then some in the next five minutes. Liam had squatted down, rubbing his face with his hands.

“Why don’t we make camp?” Niall said. His voice sparked everyone else out of their stupor and Harry was grateful to him for it. “We’ll all think better with a bit of rest and food.” 

“Do we even have food?” Liam asked glumly from where he sat on the jungle floor. 

Harry shot Liam a look. Niall frowned. 

“We do,” Niall said. “Once we set up camp, I’ll go fishing in the river.” 

“The river?” Liam questioned. 

Niall nodded. “I can hear it just through the trees. Even if we are lost, we at least know we’re by water.” He looked at Louis. “We know we’ve hiked around thirty miles in the last week, right? And we know where the river runs. We won’t be lost for long.” 

Louis nodded, furrowing his brow and scratching his forehead. It was something to work off at least, Harry assumed. 

“Can I come with you, Uncle Niall?” Eliza said from where she was now heavily leaning on both Louis and Harry. 

“If your Papa says it’s alright,” Niall said. 

Eliza looked up at Harry. “Why don’t you two go now?” Harry said. “The rest of us can set up camp.” 

Niall took Eliza’s little hand in his and they walked off into the jungle, Garnet at their heels. Gemma pulled Liam up and they set to staking the donkey’s lines and unloading the tents. Harry looked over at Louis, who hadn’t spoken since he said they were lost. 

“It’s not your fault, Lou,” Harry said lowly, his hand still resting on Louis’s lower back. “We’ll find Lord Malik soon.”

Louis didn’t reply right away, looking down at his feet. He did lean into Harry’s hand for a moment and it took all the self-control Harry possessed to not pull Louis into a hug and whisper into his ear just how wonderful Harry thought he was.

“It might be a good idea to start figuring out a backup plan,” Louis said with a sigh. The disappointment in his voice had Harry stepping to stand in front of him, holding onto Louis’s arms with his hands. 

“Lou,” Harry started, “we’ll figure this out. You didn’t put us in danger, and we’ll find our way out. You’ll find our way out. I have no doubt.” 

Louis looked up and smiled softly, their faces close enough that Harry could see the gold flecks in Louis’s eyes. Harry squeezed Louis’s arms. 

“We’re going to be fine,” Harry said. Louis nodded once. 

“Thanks, Haz.” He said, smiling the smile he always used around Harry. 

Harry opened his mouth but Liam called to them. 

“Would you two stop ogling each other and help us set up camp?” Liam said. In any other occurrence, Harry would have let the joke slide off his back. There was a frustrated tinge to Liam’s tone though, that Harry hadn’t heard in a long time. 

“You alright, Liam?” Harry asked as he and Louis made their way to help Gemma set up the tents while Liam started a fire. 

“Sure, I’m peachy,” Liam said sarcastically. “We’re just lost, hungry, and we have no idea where this Lord Malik person is. God only knows where we are, or if we’ll get back home alright….”

“Liam,” Gemma said quickly. “I think you need to eat.” 

“Yes, I’d love to eat, Gemma,” Liam said, throwing his hands in the air. “But what should we eat? Berries?”

Gemma and Harry exchanged a look. Louis looked a bit shocked at Liam’s outburst. 

Liam was relatively level-headed. He’d kept his head in more intense situations on their many adventures. But it didn’t surprise Harry that one of them had snapped a bit. They’ve never been in a situation like this before. Harry walked over the Liam and kneeled down next to him. 

“Li,” Harry said, “what’s going on?” He kept his voice low, trying to calm Liam like a spooked animal. 

Liam sighed. “Harry, we’ve been chased, hunted, shot at, and someone attempted to poison Gemma a few years ago.” He nodded in Gemma’s direction where she and Louis were finishing up the tents. “But we’ve never done something like this. Finding our way in a foreign land without a guide was foolhardy.” 

“Louis is one of the best…” Harry started, but Liam cut him off. 

“He may be. But he needed two tries to find Babylon.” Liam said. There were footsteps and Harry and Liam looked up to see Gemma frowning, her arms folded in front of her, and Louis, his face resigned, but his hands in fists at his sides. Harry stood, Liam following suit a second later. 

“You know, Liam,” Louis said, “if Lord Malik had upheld his end of the bargain, none of this would have happened. I’m sorry we’re lost, but I did everything I could.” 

“Liam knows that,” Gemma said tiredly, sending a frown in Liam’s direction. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Gems,” Liam said, rubbing his temples. “I’m sorry, Louis, I don’t mean to be taking this out on you. All the same, we don’t know where we are and we don’t have a plan. We’ll never make it out of here unless we do have a plan.” 

“We can’t afford to get at each other’s throats,” Gemma said. “It’s a little early for talking about not making it out of here.”

“Besides, none of this is anyone’s fault,” Harry added. “There’s really nothing we could do.”

Liam scoffed. “Harry, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is. We’re in unfamiliar territory, we’re all tired, we ran out of food staples weeks ago, and Lord Malik is nowhere to be seen. Who even knows when we’re getting our next meal?” 

“Within the hour, actually.” Niall’s voice cut through the argument. Louis and Gemma turned and Harry glanced around his sister to see Niall and Eliza walking towards them. Niall held onto Eliza with one hand and carried three fish with the other. 

Eliza looked warily between the adults and Harry and stayed clutching Niall’s hand. Niall looked between them all with a stern look. 

“We don’t have time to lose our heads,” Niall said. “You all will set up the rest of camp. Eliza and I will make dinner. Then we’ll come up with a plan, a real one. If that means we need to backtrack or try to head home, then so be it.” 

Harry raised his eyebrows at him, appreciating Niall’s take charge attitude. He followed Liam into one of the tents. They started unwrapping bedrolls.

“We’ll feel better after we’ve had food,” Harry said.

Liam sighed and paused unrolling the mat and blankets. “I know. I shouldn’t have said that about Louis.” 

“Tell him, then,” Harry replied. “We’re all equally stressed.” He paused thinking. “Except for maybe Niall. He’s rather unflappable, isn’t he?” That got a chuckle out of Liam. 

“I suppose he is,” Liam said. “Thank goodness for that. I’m feeling a bit unhinged.” 

“It’s really alright,” Harry said. “Lord Malik should have been there at the appointed date. If we run into him, I’ll let you have your way with him.” 

Liam laughed this time, and Harry chuckled with him. 

“I’ll take you up on that,” Liam said. The tent flap opened and Louis walked in. Liam’s face fell. 

“I’m sorry, Louis,” Liam said. “I shouldn’t have taken out my frustrations on you.” 

Louis shrugged. “It’s alright. I can understand it. I’m feeling a bit nervous myself.” He held out his hand to Liam. Liam took it and stood to give Louis a hug. Harry felt himself relax a bit. They didn’t have time for discord and between finding their way home, finding Lord Malik, watching over his six-year-old daughter, and navigating his feelings for Louis, Harry had enough on his plate. 

Liam exited the tent with a sheepish grin, and Harry grinned too as he heard his daughter greet Liam with a giggle and if Liam’s grunt was anything to go by, an actionable request for a piggy-back ride.

Harry stood, realizing with a start that he and Louis were alone for the first time in several months. A million things he wanted to say and do crossed his mind. 

“I’m glad Liam isn’t mad at me,” Louis said. “That would have made things awkward.” He attempted a half-hearted chuckle and Harry just couldn’t help himself. He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Louis’s shoulders before he could question his action. 

For a moment, Harry thought perhaps he’d done the wrong thing. But then Louis’s arms wrapped around Harry’s waist and Harry felt Louis sigh into his chest. It was the first time he’d hugged Louis and now that he was here, holding Louis in his arms, Harry was quite sure there were very few things in the world he wanted as much as Louis.

Louis sighed and Harry felt his breath on his neck. Louis didn’t seem at all inclined to leave their hug. But, like all good things, it ended when Eliza poked her head into the tent. 

“Papa.” She said matter-of-factly as she toddled over, Louis and Harry taking a step away from each other. Louis kept his hand on Harry’s arm. Eliza looked between them and put her hands on her hips. 

“Niall said I was to fetch Louis,” Eliza said. “He said a big word I don’t know.” 

Harry and Louis chuckled and Eliza grinned up at them, her eyes on where Louis’s hand rested on Harry’s arm. 

“Well, treasure, we can’t keep Niall waiting, can we?” Harry said, leaning down to pick her up. She squeezed around his neck. 

“He said we don’t have to be afraid, Papa,” Eliza said, her mother’s and aunt’s sharp eye surprising Harry yet again. Soon she’d be twenty-one and making a name for herself. He couldn’t wait and at the same time, he dreaded it with every ounce of his being. “Niall said Louis would lead us to where we need to go.”

“Niall has always been wiser than he gives himself credit for,” Louis said, the endeared look on his face at Niall’s trust in him making Harry feel a bit more at ease. “I suppose I shouldn’t keep him waiting.” 

“Niall also said you’re the best leader he’s ever followed and that you should clean the dinner dishes,” Eliza added, tapping randomly on Harry’s chest.

Louis looked over at Harry, and Harry grinned at him as they burst into laughter together. 

“Alright, alright,” Louis said good-naturedly and led the way out of the tent. 


	2. Chapter 2

Gemma woke to the sound of Liam cursing. She sat up in her bedroll, glancing over at Harry, still sound asleep. Eliza was lying on her stomach, quietly babbling to herself and doodling in her sketchbook. She waved at Gemma as Gemma stood, pulling her boots on as she left the tent. She wasn’t fond of sleeping in the same clothes day in and day out, but she had to admit it was practical. 

Liam was kneeling by the fire, frowning down at the matches in his hands. Gemma sat next to him, taking the matches from him. 

“Let me try.” She said. 

“Thanks,” Liam said. “I’ve been trying to get it started for half an hour. I thought I could start breakfast before everyone was awake.” 

Gemma paused, the match just catching the bits of paper Liam had put in the fire pit. “You don’t need to make up for what happened yesterday, you know,” She said quietly. She couldn’t tell if Louis or Niall were awake, though she thought she could hear Niall’s soft snores. Still, better be quiet just in case. 

“No one holds it against you.” Gemma continued. 

Liam nodded, shrugging haphazardly. “I know.” Gemma gave him a look. He grinned good-naturedly. 

“Alright,” Liam said. “I still feel bad. I want to make it up to them.” 

Gemma smiled. “There’s no need. But I appreciate a breakfast I don’t have to cook.” She smirked and Liam chuckled. 

“Niall’s a far better cook than I am.” Liam mused as they watched the fire grow. “I miss our cook in London. Louis and I had a long conversation about how much we miss tea a few days ago.” 

“I agree,” Gemma said. “I miss her teacakes. And the clotted cream.”

Liam hummed in agreement, leaning forward to place the grate over the fire. “Niall and I found some eggs last night. We think they might be some sort of wild chicken. Either way, I thought I’d make eggs for breakfast.” 

“Sounds lovely, Liam,” Gemma said. 

There was a yawn behind them and Louis emerged out of the tent, rubbing his eyes. “Liam is certainly lovelier than me in the mornings.” He smacked his lips and sat down across the fire from them. “Did I hear something about breakfast?” 

“Yes,” Liam said. “I’m just starting it.” 

“You don’t have to do that, Liam,” Louis said kindly. “Niall doesn’t mind.” 

Gemma shot Liam a look that said “See? I told you!” but he stoutly ignored it and shrugged instead. “I don’t mind either,” he said. 

Harry and Eliza emerged from the tent next, Harry being tugged by an Eliza who was much more awake than him. 

“Papa, we don’t want to miss breakfast,” Eliza said, pulling Harry next to Louis and climbing into Louis’s lap. Harry sat down with a grin. Gemma couldn’t help but smile at the image her brother, her niece, and Louis made. They looked like a little family, and Gemma watched for a moment as Harry and Louis exchanged a fond look over Eliza’s head.

“I don’t think they’d let us miss breakfast, treasure,” Harry said, grinning at his daughter. He yawned and the yawn was echoed by the rest of them. 

“Good lord, we all just got out of bed.” Niall’s voice interrupted the many yawns as he emerged from the tent, buttoning up his shirt. “It’s too early for that.” He waved his hand in their general direction and plopped down next to Liam, looking pleasantly surprised. 

“Are you making breakfast, Li?” Niall asked. Liam nodded. 

“Eggs,” Liam said. 

“Great,” Niall said enthusiastically. “There’s some thyme in my bag. Let’s use it.” 

He and Liam stood to get the herb and Gemma set to work setting some water to boil. They didn’t have any of their favorite black tea, but she was almost certain Niall would bring out some mint leaves. Once he’d found out how much she liked it in Babylon, he’d always been bringing bundles from his garden to their house. She missed Niall’s garden more than she cared to admit. 

There had been several instances where Gemma and Eliza had ended up at Niall’s shop, mostly because Eliza wanted to see something get blown up. But Niall always took them to the back of his building where he kept his garden. He’d made tea and a snack for Eliza and the three of them would while away the hours, Gemma watching Eliza listen intently to Niall explain different plants. Gemma had used the time to write and she’d been so much more productive. 

She was placing the kettle on the grate when suddenly several archers burst out of the trees, pulling arrows out of quivers and knocking their bows. Harry and Louis stood quickly, placing Eliza behind them, Niall and Liam burst out of the tent, and Gemma reached into her pocket for her knife, but within seconds they were surrounded. 

All around them were men with dark faces, dark skin and hair, and focused gazes. They all wore loose pants and shirts and had quivers on their backs. They didn’t automatically attack, but Gemma stayed cautious. There was a bit of chatter in what Gemma recognized as the local dialect, but she couldn’t remember enough to catch what they said. 

“Papa, what’s happening?” Eliza’s small voice drifted upward. She didn’t sound afraid, but the reminder of her presence made the five adults push in closer to one another around her. 

“Be quiet, Eliza,” Harry said gently, one of his hands reaching behind him for her to hold. Gemma exchanged a look with Liam. Do they fight? Do they wait? They and the archers around them stood in suspense until a voice broke out from behind the men surrounding them.

“Englishmen?” The voice asked. It was a deep, lilting voice that carried far, sounding like a song on the wind. The archers pulled their arrows back, and a man walked through them to come to stand in front of Harry and Louis. “I don’t often find my own countrymen in this part of the world.” 

The man had sharp cheekbones and kind, dark eyes and he was dressed in all black. He appeared to be about the same age as them, young enough to travel the world but old enough to be out of his father’s influence. He looked at them expectantly, his eyes appraising them with a lilting curiosity. 

“Well,” he said, “who are you? How did you end up in the far reaches of the east?”

“You were the one with arrows pointed in our direction,” Liam said cautiously, speaking for the group. “You can start the introductions.”

The man smirked at Liam, paused, and then bowed with a flourish, like something from a Shakespeare play. “I am Lord Zayn Malik, at your service. These are my men. Forgive their menacing demeanor. I promise they’re like kittens when you get to know them.” He grinned, a mirthful and teasing grin and Gemma felt pulled between wanting to trust him implicitly and wanting to never trust him at all.

“You’re late,” Liam said, and Gemma felt the urge to punch him. 

Lord Malik’s smirk deepened, his eyebrows raising. He chuckled. “There is no such thing as late, in the jungle.” 

“Be that as it may...” Liam started, but Louis cut him off. 

“What my friend is trying to say,” Louis said, taking a step forward, “is that we’ve been looking for you.” He gestured to himself. “My name is Louis Tomlinson. I’m a professor from London who specializes in the ancients.” He gestured next to Harry and Gemma. “This is Harry and Gemma Styles. You wrote to us asking for our help.” 

The minute he spoke the names, Lord Malik’s face grew serious. He glanced at Liam. 

“Ah,” He said. “I see why you said I was late.” Lord Malik waved his hand and his men dispersed around them, backing up into the jungle. Gemma could still hear them around their camp, but they were out of earshot. Lord Malik looked at the six of them with new eyes, as if he’d just found his way out of a maze he’d been stuck in for a long time, but guarded in a way that suggested he’d been robbed of the opportunity before. Gone was the flashy man who had introduced himself to them. In his place was a man who looked tired of searching.

“Why don’t we sit?” Niall suggested, beckoning to the fire. Lord Malik nodded and sat with them, Eliza scooching closer to her father. 

“I know the names of three of you.” Lord Malik said. “What about the rest of you?” He smiled at Eliza, who sheepishly smiled back. “I’ve been very eager to meet you.” Gemma wasn’t sure she heard right, but she thought she heard Liam scoff under his breath.

Niall stretched out his hand. “Niall Horan. I’m an apothecary.” 

“And he specializes in explosives,” Louis said. He seemed to be taking charge and Gemma was grateful to him.    


Lord Malik grinned and shook Niall’s hand. “Excellent. That’ll be very helpful.”

“I’m Eliza.” Her tiny voice still projected out and Lord Malik grinned. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, young one.” Lord Malik said kindly. Eliza snuggled further into Harry’s side and Harry nodded at Lord Malik.

“I’m Liam,” Liam said. He didn’t stretch out his hand, his eyes searching at Lord Malik like he was hunting something. “Liam Payne. You’ll have to forgive my impertinence, Lord Malik…”

“Call me Zayn.” He said with a wave of his hand. “Lord Malik is technically my father, although since he’s kidnapped at the moment, it means his title lands on me.” 

“Yes, tell us about your father,” Louis said, pointedly ignoring Liam’s slightly grumpy glare. “We were afraid we wouldn’t find you.” 

Zayn looked around at the group. “It couldn’t be helped, unfortunately. Things are unstable here. We got held up a few weeks ago,” He didn’t elaborate but he looked at Liam curiously. Gemma almost burst out laughing at Liam’s heavily skeptical gaze at Zayn. It was like watching a tennis match, seeing who could look at whom with more distrust or curiosity.

“We heard a bit of the discord,” Harry said, pulling Gemma out of her observation and into the task at hand. 

“We’ve only run into trouble a few times,” Gemma added. “It’s been fairly quiet for most of our journey.”

“I hope you weren’t put out,” Zayn said, looking amongst them. 

“Not at all,” Gemma said. “We enjoy a good fight. It was our lack of knowledge of the jungle that was the harder scenario. We don’t know the jungle like a native.” 

“I got lost once a week when my father and I first moved out here,” Zayn said with a smirk. 

“How old were you?” Niall asked. He was sitting easily, looking more relaxed than any of them. Gemma was grateful for his ability to put people at ease. His composure made Gemma feel calm.

“I was ten,” Zayn replied. “My mother had just passed away and my father didn’t want to stay in England after that.” 

“You two must be close then,” Niall said.

“We’re not,” Zayn shrugged. “It’s more a matter of politics that I find him. My father was captured for stealing a statue of Krishna, one of the most important Hindu gods. The statue is made of gold and other valuable elements. It  _ seems _ like exactly the sort of thing he’d do, to someone who doesn’t know him.” 

“Why is that? What is the sort of thing he would do?” Liam asked. He looked skeptical, and Gemma would have laughed at Liam’s stubborn rigidity if they were at home in England. Out here, she was leaning towards trusting his instincts. 

“He’s a bit of a Robin Hood out here,” Zayn said. “Robbing the rich to give to the poor. It’s made him a leader. Less than he is at home, in England, but he has the influence.”

“Your father is…?” Louis asked.

“Was, a baron,” Zayn said. “He left it all to my brother when he and I left eighteen years ago.” There was a pause and Zayn continued. “For all the influence he has here, he’d never upset a religious relic, especially one as important as Krishna. They suspect him only because he’s the only option they have.”

“Who is they, exactly?” Louis asked. 

“The war with Siam and Vietnam has infiltrated us here, and there are rebel groups popping up everywhere. One of the rebel groups is hoping to cause a stir and gain some influence,” Zayn said. “The one that has my father isn’t notable, I think they just want money.”

“Is this group dangerous?” Louis asked. 

“Yes,” Zayn replied. “They’re dangerous. Men will do anything for power and money, especially when faced with uncertainty.

“You mentioned in your letter that you want to find the statue,” Harry said. “Is this to prove his innocence?” 

Zayn nodded. “I’d rather not pay them if I can help it. They’ll just use the money on more violence and while I, too, don’t mind a good fight, the everyday person isn’t safe with these groups running around with no check.” 

“What do you do exactly?” Harry asked. “When you’re not looking for your father?” 

“Same thing as him, really. There’s a lot of people here who have been tossed aside by the government, without enough food or shelter. I try to do what I can,” Zayn said.

“How do you mean?” Liam asked skeptically.

Zayn smiled now, good-naturedly. He looked like he was sizing Liam up, gauging what sort of man he was. He seemed satisfied with what he saw, even if Liam still surveyed Zayn with derision.

“Mostly find ways to get food and other resources to fringe villages,” Zayn replied. “Several of the wealthier families have moved out of the country, and we’ve raided their manors in an effort to help poorer people live a better life. I’ve been able to save several important pieces of artwork as well. Our history is nothing if we can’t preserve it for the future.” 

Liam leaned back at Zayn’s response and didn’t reply. Gemma found herself leaning more towards trusting Zayn implicitly. 

“That sounds like a rather tough job,” Niall said. “I didn’t realize things were so fraught here.” 

“Not many people do,” Zayn replied. “But, while I’m here, this is what I do. It’s why I need to find my father. He and a few other band leaders are working together to create a bit of peace in the area. We need him back to continue facilitating that peace.”

“Where do we start then?” Gemma asked. She was eager to get going now that they’d met up with Zayn. He was interesting, but he seemed to have good motives. 

“We’ll set up camp here with you,” Zayn said, standing up. “My men need a rest and we’ll share what food we have. We can come up with a plan later today.” 

Louis and Niall stood, shaking Zayn’s hands. Harry and Gemma followed, and Liam just nodded at Zayn. 

Zayn nodded and walked towards his men. He gave a shout and they burst into action. Gemma and her companions were eating breakfast by the time Zayn and his men were finished with their camp a few trees over. 

“So,” Niall said from his spot between Liam and Harry, leaning in toward the others. “What do we think?” 

“It’s rather dubious ethics, isn’t it?” Liam said with a shrug. “He’s a thief.” 

“A thief with a good heart,” Harry added. He was balancing his own plate and Eliza’s on his knees. “Maybe his methods aren’t preferred but he’s trying to do right by his people, as best he can."

“I get the impression he and his father don’t get along well,” Gemma said, tapping her fork against her plate thoughtfully. She wondered what sort of politics Zayn was involved in to warrant saving a father he seemed neutral towards, at best.

“I agree,” Niall said. “It seems like he’s hiding something.”

“Something important?” Louis asked, taking Eliza’s empty plate from Harry’s knee. 

Niall shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe he’s just private, but I think there’s one thing we can be sure of.” Niall looked around at each of them, his eyes landing on Gemma last. She understood the look in his eye and sighed. 

“We have to watch our backs.” 

\-----

The later afternoon heat was blistering, and Niall lay on his back, his hat over his face, his vest exposing his chest to the air. He felt a poke in his side. He grunted. Another poke followed. 

“Eliza,” Niall said, pulling his hat off to see her grinning down at him, despite the sweat dripping off her brow. “What have I told you about waking a sleeping Niall?” He teased. 

“You weren’t sleeping,” Eliza said matter-of-factly. “You snore when you sleep.” 

Niall clutched a hand to his chest, pretending to be offended. Louis was sitting a few paces away writing and chuckled. 

“She’s right, Ni,” Louis said. “How do you think I pranked you so well when we were at university?” 

“I heard a great story about mice…” Harry started, perking up from where he lay on Louis’s other side.

“No need to share that story,” Niall said quickly, cutting Harry off before Eliza could get curious. Remembering the mice made him cringe. He turned back to Eliza. “Did you need something, Eliza?” He asked. 

She nodded. “Auntie Gems said you make a yummy cool drink.” 

Niall grinned, glancing up at where Gemma and Liam were muttering to each other. He could only guess they were talking about Zayn. Liam’s extreme reserved attitude toward Zayn was something Niall hadn’t seen before. Liam generally had two opinions of people: friend or foe. Zayn seemed to be neither, and Niall wouldn’t be surprised if it was confusing Liam more than he was comfortable with. 

Niall stood, beckoning Eliza to follow. His bag was lying by the fire and he rustled around in it, pulling out bunches of dried mint. 

“You seem to have a lot of dried greenery in there.” 

Niall looked up to see Zayn standing in front of him and Eliza. He had an easy stance, one hip popped out, still looking like he was ready to pounce if he was surprised. A rolled up piece of parchment was under one arm. Gemma and Liam had stopped their chattering, Liam almost outright glowering at Zayn. Harry and Louis stood, making their way over to Niall.

Niall grinned at Zayn. “I do. They’re helpful.” He turned to Eliza, opening her canteen and dropping some mint leaves inside. She took some sips gratefully.

“Is it planning time?” Louis asked as he and Harry came to stand next to Eliza. 

“Better now than never, I suppose,” Zayn said. Louis beckoned for them to sit around the firepit once more. Niall looked up to Gemma frowning at Liam in a slightly motherly fashion, and he finally sighed resignedly and they joined the group. Gemma sat next to Niall, leaning over to whisper in his ear while Eliza asked Zayn a question about the knife on his belt.

“Liam doesn’t like him,” Gemma pulled back to jerk her chin towards Zayn. 

Niall muttered a reply. “Any idea why?” 

Gemma shrugged. “He wouldn’t tell me.” 

They shared a confused look, and Niall opened his mouth to add another thought but Louis called Niall and Gemma to attention. 

“Gemma, I thought perhaps you could get us started?” Louis said, glancing between Niall and Gemma curiously. 

Niall and the rest of the group turned to look at Gemma, who grinned, looking at ease in her element.

“Zayn, let’s start with what you know about your father,” she said. “Do you have a map?"

Zayn nodded and unrolled the parchment, spreading it out before them, each of them crowding around it. Louis made a sound of surprise. 

“This would have been helpful a few days ago,” he said. 

The map was a more detailed depiction of the area they’d been lost in just days previously. Scattered over the green and black outlines were marks and arrows pointing this way and that. Gemma scanned the map for a moment, getting her bearings. 

“Indeed,” Gemma said. She pointed to a spot on the map. “This is where we are, correct?” 

“Yes,” Zayn replied. “The river’s fork is five miles east of us.” 

Niall reached over to pat Louis’s shoulder. “It’s alright, mate. These trees are misleading.” Louis just shook his head helplessly. 

“Do you have an idea of where your father could be?” Gemma asked Zayn. 

“There are a few places we’ve checked already,” Zayn said, gesturing to a few marks on the map. “He wasn’t in any of those locations. We have three more I’d like to check, but my theory is that they’re moving him, trying to keep us from finding him.” 

“Do you know where the idol could be?” Louis asked. “Since we’re assuming your father didn’t steal it.”

“Here,” Zayn said, pointing to a spot on the map, just over the river from them, about twenty miles.

“Those are…” Gemma started and Niall saw her eyes light up. The look was familiar to him now. It meant something exciting was about to be uncovered, discovered, or explored.

“Those are the temples of Angkor Wat, aren’t they?” Gemma asked. 

Zayn looked up at her, surprised. “Yes. They are. You know them?”

“That’s partially why we took your letter,” Harry said. “We wanted to travel here for years.”

“Got a little more than you expected?” Zayn said with a smirk, and the charming, charismatic man they’d met earlier reappeared. The rest of the group nodded slowly. Zayn’s smirk turned into a full grin. 

“Don’t worry,” he said, “you’ll get used to it.” 

“I hope so,” Niall said. “I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever feel cold again.” He was teasing but he had to admit… he was looking forward to an English winter when they returned.

“Do you like living in the jungle?” Eliza piped up. Zayn grinned at her. Eliza seemed to have lost her earlier shyness and was looking at Zayn with interest.

“Not as much as England, but it’s alright.” He replied, more cheerfully than Niall supposed he really meant the sentiment. 

“We saw a tiger a few weeks ago,” Eliza continued. “Papa wouldn’t let me stay to see it though.” 

“Your Papa is a smart man,” Zayn said. “Tigers can be nasty if you get in the way of their meal.” 

Harry shuddered. “Which is why I moved us along. No daughter of mine gets to be a tiger meal.”

Eliza giggled.

“Do you think we should search for your father or the idol first?” Louis asked, bringing everyone back to topic. 

Zayn frowned at the map. “That’s what I’ve had a hard time deciding.” He traced his fingers along the map. “If they are moving my father, it would be best to have the idol with us. That way, when we find him, we’re prepared to prove his innocence.”

“And if they aren’t moving your father?” Gemma asked. Her face was the picture of concentration and Niall found himself wondering what wheels were turning in her head. 

“Then he’s probably here.” Zayn pointed at one of the unmarked up areas on the map. “There’s a group of temples there that this group has taken over in the past few years.” 

An idea began taking form in his mind. “It might make a bit of sense then to split up.” Niall pitched in. Liam shot him a look that clearly said “are you crazy?” but Niall ignored him for the time being. “Zayn, how many men do you have?” 

“Twenty.” 

“Well then,” Niall said, the idea solidifying. “You split your men into groups to survey the final three locations. You come with us and we’ll go to Angkor Wat to find the idol. We’ll meet back here in four days time.” 

“It’ll take us two and a half days to get to Angkor Wat, Niall,” Louis said, looking closely at the map. 

“Six days then,” Niall said. “It’ll save us time and we’ll be able to at least gather more intel to find your father. The sooner you find him, the sooner you’re out of this mess.” 

“Sooner can’t come soon enough,” Zayn said quietly, and Niall was sure he, Gemma, and Liam were the only ones who heard him. 

“I think that’s a good plan,” Harry said. “Especially since Louis and Gemma are eager to see Angkor Wat.”

“I could use a bit of company from my fellow countrymen,” Zayn said with a grin. “It’s been too long.” 

Niall grinned at him. “We’ll be glad to have you.” He vaguely saw Liam frown and made a mental note to talk to him later. His reticence was speaking volumes.

“I’ll inform my men,” Zayn said, standing. The rest stood too, all except Louis who sat staring at the map, reluctant to give it back. 

“Keep the map,” Zayn said with a knowing grin. “I’ll camp with you all tonight so we can move out tomorrow morning.” 

He walked off towards his men and Niall turned to Liam. He wanted to get to the bottom of whatever was bothering Liam. It wouldn’t help them at all if Liam stayed hostile to Zayn. 

“You,” Niall pointed to Liam, “and me need to have a talk.” 

Liam groaned. “Why?” 

“You’re not a child, Liam,” Niall said, slinging an arm around his shoulders and ushering him away from the group. Gemma giggled as they passed, spurring Niall on away from the camp.

Niall released Liam at the base of a tree out of earshot of their companions. He sat down, Liam beginning to pace in front of him. 

“Tell me what the matter is, Liam,” Niall said. “I can tell from a mile away that you’re not fond of our new friend.” 

Liam scoffed, pacing what Niall was sure would be a satisfactory cow trough into the dirt. His face was tense and the furrow in his brow had Niall worried he’d get stuck there. “The matter?” He asked bitterly. “He was late.” 

“Due to a local uprising,” Niall combatted. “There’s only so much he could do.”

“He was cocky.” Liam fired back. “He’s full of himself.”

“So are you, when you’re in a mood,” Niall said gamely.

“He had his men point arrows at us with no prompting,” Liam paused his pacing and put his hands on his hips, staring Niall down.

“And we got attacked a few days ago for existing,” Niall looked back, unfazed. “We knew coming into this that we’d encounter unfriendly people.”

“He’s a thief!” Liam said, throwing his hands in the air. 

Niall paused, smirking. “Liam… so are we. I was raised by thieves. And I like to think we’re friends.” 

“Yes, well,” Liam paced a bit more. “You’re… you have good intentions.” 

“And helping out the poor in his community isn’t good intentions?” Niall rebuffed. 

Liam sighed. “I just don’t like him. He makes me suspicious. I have to trust my gut.” 

“And your gut tells you he’s bad news?” 

“Not exactly,” Liam said, frowning again, the frown more curious than upset this time. “Something doesn’t sit right.” 

“We all have our secrets, Liam,” Niall said. “I doubt Zayn Malik is any different.” 

Liam stopped his pacing and plopped down next to Niall. “I know. I just don’t trust him.” 

Niall patted Liam’s knee. “We’ll see for ourselves in the next few days, I suppose.” 

Liam nodded. 

“I understand your hesitation, Liam,” Niall said kindly. “We’re in a strange place, with strange people, and we’re all out of our comfort zone.” 

“I do wonder a bit if it’s worth it,” Liam muttered. 

Niall nudged him. “We’ll see the looks on Louis and Gemma’s faces when we find Angkor Wat and it’ll all be worth it. Besides, I have no doubt Eliza will be just as gleeful as they will be and she always makes you smile.” 

Liam’s lips turned up, just a little, at the mention of Eliza. Niall knew he struck a chord. None of them could be upset when Eliza was around. 

“I know you’re right,” Liam said. 

“I am,” Niall said quickly. “Or at least I hope I am. If I’m not…” 

“We’re fucked.” Liam finished, but he had a sparkle to his eye again and the tension was gone from his shoulders. 

Niall laughed and nodded. “We’re fucked,” he echoed. 

“So let’s hope you’re right,” Harry’s voice announced his arrival. “I’d rather not be fucked,” Harry said with an amused grin. “Zayn just returned to camp. Think you can play nice, Liam?” 

Liam rolled his eyes. “No, but I can try to be civil.” 

Niall patted him on the back and stood. “Now there’s a step in a direction I can get behind.” 

Niall followed Liam and Harry back to camp. Eliza was sitting next to Louis, giggling at something he’d said, while Gemma and Zayn talked animatedly. Niall found himself letting out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. For all his teasing of Liam, he hated discord between his friends. And whether Zayn was trustworthy or not, for the next few days, he was a member of their party, and Niall was determined to make it through the woods as peacefully as possible.

\-----

The group left their campsite the next morning, and with Zayn in their midst, their usual walking order was rearranged. Louis and Harry took the lead, now that Louis knew where they were. Gemma was glad to see him back in his usual enthusiastic spirits, laughing with Harry, teasing Eliza, and getting just as excited as Gemma at the interesting things they passed. 

Harry, for his part, seems lighter too, and Gemma wondered if perhaps her brother had been picking up on Louis’s sad mood and done something to make Louis feel better. She watched them as they walked and couldn’t help but grin to herself. Harry would occasionally brush his fingers against Louis’s, rest his hand on Louis’s lower back. Louis was constantly brushing their shoulders and grabbing Harry’s wrist when he said something important. 

Niall had fallen into step beside her and noticed her grin. 

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” He asked quietly. 

“If you mean those two up ahead being rather obvious about their feelings towards one another,” Gemma replied, “then yes.” 

She and Niall shared a chuckle. They fell into silence as they walked, but it was a comfortable silence. Niall picked a piece of fruit off a tree as they passed and handed her half, pulling his handkerchief out of his pocket for her to use. 

It reminded her of something Eddie would have done. A simple act of care, without any derision or belittling. Eddie had always treated her like an equal. Come to think of it, so had Niall. So had all of her companions, but Niall seemed more careful than the others, more intentional. 

Gemma found she didn’t mind. They passed a large ruin and Gemma paused for a moment, taking a bite out of the fruit. Niall paused with her, letting Zayn and Liam, who had been (reluctantly, on Liam’s part) walking together pass. Garnet sat down next to Niall’s feet, looking up at Gemma and Niall. 

“Do you know what it is?” Niall asked, chewing thoughtfully. 

Gemma turned to him to answer. He looked genuinely curious. 

“It looks like a statue Zayn pointed out a few miles back,” Gemma said. “One of the Hindu gods.” 

“There’s so many,” Niall said with a disbelieving shake of his head. “It’s rather foreign to me.” 

Gemma smiled. “To me as well. But I find I appreciate it. It’s much easier to connect to a god when you know what they represent.” 

She and Harry had never been very religious. She could see the appeal though when you knew the god you worshiped would bring rain for your crops or help the flood season come at the right time.

Niall shrugged. “I never did connect with the god of the Church of England. Maybe this is what I was missing.” He tossed the pit of the fruit into the jungle, taking Gemma’s and tossing it too. She went to hand him his napkin, but he pushed her hand back. 

“Keep it,” he said. “It’s good to have one on you at all times.”

“Are you two coming?” Liam’s voice startled them and Gemma, Niall, and Garnet began walking again, catching up to Zayn and Liam. 

Liam had been civil the night before, as promised. He hadn’t talked to Zayn unless Zayn addressed him directly which had only been twice. Gemma had to give Zayn credit. He didn’t seem to be daunted by Liam’s hard shell. Instead, Zayn had purposely fallen into step with Liam, asking him questions despite one-worded replies. 

Liam didn’t know what to do about Zayn, Gemma could tell. But Zayn was asking Liam all sorts of questions about his passions and his schooling and what he missed about England and even though Liam didn’t ask, Gemma heard Zayn share his own answers. It made her chuckle and she almost missed Niall speaking to her. 

“When would you say you first became interested in history?” Niall asked, and she turned to him, grinning as the answer to his question came to mind. 

“I get my love of books from my father. We had this big, beautiful library in our Manor House in Cheshire. I was five years old, maybe six. Harry couldn’t read yet but Papa showed us this book full of pictures from Ancient Greece. I’d never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life.” 

“And the rest is history?” Niall teased. 

Gemma chuckled. “Yes. In some ways quite literally. I was nine when I learned you could grow up and become an archeologist. I snuck into Harry’s tutoring sessions and made his tutor teach me too. I wanted to learn math and science and Latin just like he got to.”

“I can just imagine little Gemma bursting her way into Harry’s lessons,” Niall said with a chuckle. 

“Oh, I was stubborn and precocious. I couldn’t let Harry have all the fun, could I?”

Niall laughed out loud, the laugh that made his mouth stretch wide into a big smile. 

“No, I can’t suppose you could have.” He replied. “It really does run in the family.”

“Our mother says Eliza is much like I was as a child.” 

“She’ll grow up to be a lovely woman then,” Niall said, the laughter gone from his voice. He spoke warmly though, and fondly. It reminded Gemma of Eddie, once again.

“I certainly hope so.”

They walked in silence a bit more, keeping an eye on the donkeys ahead of Liam and Zayn, and on Garnet who ran around them sniffing at trees. Niall hummed to himself and Gemma let her mind wander for a bit. They had just crossed the river when Gemma heard Zayn and Liam talking. 

“You don’t seem to like me very much,” Zayn said. Gemma motioned for Niall to be quiet a moment and nodded her head ahead of them. He nodded back and the two continued walking, following Harry and Louis, Garnet trotting at their feet and Eliza jabbering happily between them. 

“That’s not fair,” they heard Liam reply. “I just don’t trust you. There’s a difference.” 

“Not to you,” Zayn said and Gemma covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. This man understood Liam faster and better than he understood himself. “You’re uncertain about me and my men and my motives. It’s rather hard to like someone when you can’t trust them.” 

“Perhaps,” Liam said, “but that doesn’t mean I won’t work with you. We’ll help you find your father. We’ll just watch our backs as we do.” 

Zayn was silent a moment and Gemma wished she could see his and Liam’s faces. “And what could I do to earn your trust?” 

Liam laughed derisively. “Save my life sometime, and maybe we’ll talk about trust.”

Gemma rolled her eyes and tapped Niall on his wrist. “He’ll regret that,” She said under her breath. 

“Perhaps,” Niall said. “It would make for quite a story, anyway.” 

Gemma hummed. “Let’s hope none of our lives are in too much danger though.”

“I stand by what I said in Babylon,” Niall said. 

“All of us home in one piece?” Gemma replied. 

Niall smiled and nodded. “Exactly.” He glanced ahead of them, watching Zayn and Liam bicker a bit. Zayn’s observation seemed to have unlocked Liam’s stunted answers and Liam was now asking Zayn question after question about the manors he robbed.

“I have to admit though…” Niall said thoughtfully. “It would be interesting to see Liam trust him. He said he doesn’t know what his gut is telling him about Zayn,” Niall added in a whisper. 

“Liam’s taken more risks than anyone I know,” Gemma said. “It’s odd for him to not know his own instinct.”

Niall frowned, looking between Zayn and Liam curiously. “Has he ever…” He trailed off and Gemma grabbed his wrist. 

“Has he ever what?” 

They stopped, letting a bit of space grow between them and Liam and Zayn. 

“Has he only ever been with Sophia?” Niall said lowly. 

Gemma’s eyes widened. “Oh.” Of course. Liam had never been with a man, never been attracted to one, as far as Gemma knew. 

“It’s only a hunch,” Niall added quickly. 

“But a smart one,” Gemma said. She motioned for them to start walking again. Eliza had fallen into step with Zayn and Liam, and Gemma could hear her asking Zayn question after question about the jungle, its animals, the trees. 

“She’s going to know more about the plants and trees here than I do,” Niall chuckled. 

“Perhaps when she’s older she can apprentice with you,” Gemma teased. 

Niall just smiled. “I’d like that.” 

There was something like longing and grief on his face, just for a moment, and Gemma wondered what he could want, what could have happened, that made him look so forlorn. She had a hunch, but paused a moment, unsure if she should follow it. Niall had been closed off about his mother since they’d met. But certain comments he’d made had Gemma suspecting that perhaps Niall had something to do with his mother’s passing.

She touched his wrist gently, deciding to at least try. “May I ask… were you close to your mother?” 

Niall sighed and nodded. “Very. She was my dearest friend before she died.”

“I’m sorry.” 

He shrugged, staring down at his feet. “It’s never easy to lose anyone. You lost a partner. Louis lost his mother.” 

Gemma didn’t move her hand from his wrist. “True. But that never makes it easier. Death visits us all, in one way or another.” She swallowed, slowing her step again to let them drift from the group. Harry and Liam were the only other people in the world who remembered but Gemma wanted to share one more part of herself with Niall. Perhaps as a goodwill offering. 

“I lost two children,” She said quietly and Niall looked up at her. The look of understanding in his eyes instantly made her feel heard. “It’s never easy when you feel it’s your fault.” She was shooting in the dark, trying to make connections of Niall’s past. He was like a mystery she hadn’t solved yet and that was why she went on all these adventures with her brother in the first place: she always wanted to know the answer. 

Something flickered in his eyes, and he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, however, Louis called them to a halt. Niall tangled his fingers through Gemma’s, bringing her palm up to his lips to kiss, just for a moment before returning her hand to her side. He smiled at her, a sad smile. 

“Thank you for telling me, Gems.” He paused, as if to say something again, then shook his head, walking away, leaving Gemma to watch as he helped round up the donkeys and prepared lunch for the group. Garnet sat at her feet and whined till Gemma stroked her head. 

Eliza came into Gemma’s eyesight. 

“Auntie Gems,” she said happily, “Mister Zayn was telling me about fruit and Niall said we’re having some for lunch.” Eliza grabbed Gemma’s hand, the one Niall had kissed, and pulled her to where the men were clustered, pulling Gemma to sit down between her and Liam. Gemma accepted the plate of food Louis handed her and glanced up at Niall. 

He was already looking at her. His eyes met hers and his gaze made her shiver. It reminded her of the way Eddie had looked at her before he’d run back into their burning home: fear and longing laced with an apology she wasn’t sure she could understand.

\-----

In any other circumstance, Louis’s laugh would have made Harry smile so much his dimples would show up. He’d find ways to make Louis laugh more, just so he could keep seeing Louis happy. 

This time, however, Harry glowered. He hadn’t made Louis laugh. 

Zayn had. 

“And that was how I ended up almost being eaten by a tiger,” Zayn finished with a flourish that had Harry’s friends laughing. Gemma was clutching her stomach, Niall had his head thrown back in happy laughter, Eliza was giggling uncontrollably. Even Liam had the faintest smile on his face. 

_ Traitor _ , Harry thought darkly. Harry took a sip of his tea to hide his grimace. The laughter eased down and Gemma, Niall, and Zayn stood, dispersing to their tents. Eliza hopped after Niall and Zayn, badgering them with questions about tigers. Louis chuckled softly. 

“He wasn’t what I expected,” Louis said softly. Liam was staring after Zayn as he walked away, a curious look on his face. Louis, however, was speaking only to Harry, quiet enough that Liam couldn’t hear. Harry turned to face him and Louis’s Harry-smile greeted him. 

Harry smiled softly. He couldn’t help it around Louis, especially when Louis’s face was so close to his.

“I don’t think he’s what Liam expected either,” Louis said. He jerked his chin towards Liam, who hadn’t moved and was looking at Zayn like he was a puzzle he had to solve. Harry chuckled. 

Harry liked Zayn, for the most part. He was smart, clever, and obviously had a kind heart. Harry didn’t like how easily Louis and Zayn had become friends. Just within the last day, they’d hit it off perhaps as quickly as Harry and Louis had. 

Harry didn’t want to be jealous. He didn’t have a claim on Louis. 

He wanted to have a claim on Louis. But that was a different matter. He thought perhaps there was something there, but seeing Louis with Zayn made Harry doubt the past months of friendship. 

However, Louis seemed to be insinuating that Liam was curious about Zayn in a romantic way. Did that mean Harry was about to be a part of a horrid four-way love square? Or did that mean his chances with Louis were still what they’d been? 

Possible, if he could only get up the nerve.

Louis took a sip of his tea and leaned into Harry’s shoulder with a sigh. Harry leaned back, the pressure of Louis’s weight against his torso making Harry want to duck down and kiss Louis’s neck. 

Those thoughts had crept up more and more. Wanting to hold Louis, kiss him, be close to him. Harry chastised himself. His  _ daughter _ was nearby, for Christ’s sake.

But Louis stayed leaning into Harry and turned his head to smile at Harry’s chin. They were so close, Harry could feel Louis’s rib cage expand with his breath. 

“I think we’ll reach the temples tomorrow,” Louis said. “We’re going at a slower pace than I’d anticipated.” 

“Eliza or Niall?” Harry asked with a smirk. 

Louis chuckled. “Gemma, actually.” 

Harry guffawed, unsurprised. Gemma had stopped for a solid hour the previous day to show Eliza how to do pencil rubbings of markings on statues and Zayn had helped them translate while Niall took a nap and Louis, Harry, and Liam talked. 

“Can’t say I blame her,” Harry replied. 

“She’s in her element out here,” Louis said with a smile. 

Harry gave him a look. “So are you, Lou.” The nickname slid off his tongue and Harry realized he liked the sound of it. It felt natural to endear Louis to him in some way. 

Louis’s cheeks turned pink. “I do love it here. I’m glad you asked me to come along.” 

Harry’s earlier animosity towards Zayn drained away. “I am too. It would have been much less interesting without you.” 

“Ah yes,” Louis teased, “you would have missed my endless teasing and lack of proper attire.” He gestured to his loose pants and his shirt that somehow always seemed to come undone, leaving his chest bare.

“I don’t mind the lack of proper attire.” The words were out of Harry’s mouth before he had a chance to think and he and Louis stared at each other for a moment, Harry’s cheeks bright red and Louis’s on their way. 

“Harry,” Louis started, but he was interrupted by Eliza flinging herself into his lap. 

“Uncle Louis!” She cried, waving a piece of paper in her hand. “Look, look!” 

Harry sighed, glad his embarrassment was over but torn between listening to his daughter and wishing he knew what Louis had intended to say. 

Eliza babbled about the tiger she’d drawn and Louis cast Harry a small smile before devoting his attention completely to Eliza. It was something Harry was fond of. Louis loved Eliza. It made Harry care for him even more. 

“I think we should move out,” Zayn said, coming back to the fire. “If we go at the same pace, we’ll arrive at the Temples in two days time.”

Eliza jumped out of Louis’s lap and ran over to Niall, pulling him to the tents. Gemma followed good-naturedly and Harry saw her laugh at something Niall said before they disappeared into one of the tents. 

Liam stood, pouring the last of his tea over the fire to put it out. Zayn smiled at him and even though Liam didn’t smile back, he gave Zayn a nod. Zayn followed Liam to the tent, something like determination on his face. 

Louis turned to look at Harry, a smirk on his face. His eyes twinkled and Harry grinned bashfully. 

“I’m sorry…” Harry said, “if my earlier comment…” 

Louis placed his hand on Harry’s chest. “Please don’t apologize. I don’t want you to be sorry.” 

Harry nodded slowly. He placed his hand over Louis’s. 

“I won’t apologize then,” Harry said, running his fingers over the back of Louis’s hand. There were moments when all he wanted was to be as close to Louis as he could. This was one of them.

“Good,” Louis said. 

“Good,” Harry replied. 

“We should probably…” Louis gestured towards the tents with his free hand but made no move to remove his hand from Harry’s grasp. 

Harry nodded absentmindedly. He was perfectly content to stay where he was, thank you very much. But he knew Louis had a point, so he sighed, giving Louis’s hand a squeeze. Louis gripped Harry’s hand back, smiling at him fondly. 

Harry hoped every hope that he was reading Louis’s signals correctly. Louis had to feel the same thing for him… right? 

Together, they stood, and helped the rest of the group pack up the tents and load up the donkeys. They filed out in the same order as the day prior: Harry and Louis in the front, Zayn and Liam behind them with the donkeys, and Gemma and Niall in the rear. Eliza and Garnet darted between the six grown-ups, and Harry was more than grateful he could trust his daughter to his friends as well. 

It had been really something else to see Eliza in the jungle. Despite Harry’s earlier fears, she’s taken everything in stride. Even when they were lost or attacked, she’d stayed brave and calm, just like her mother had in tough situations. He was so proud of her. 

Eliza came running up between Harry and Louis, tugging on Harry and Louis’s hands to get their attention. 

“Papa, Uncle Louis,” she said, “what will the temples be like?”

She held onto their hands, trying to swing herself between their legs. Louis and Harry made eye contact, then hoisted her up in unison, swinging her between them. She giggled brightly and shrieked in glee. 

Harry and Louis broke into a jog, swinging her between them, all three of them giggling the entire time. Harry could vaguely hear Gemma and Liam calling after them, but he could only see two things: Eliza’s blissful smile, and the way Louis was watching him. 

Harry was so busy watching Louis watch him that Harry stumbled, falling down and pulling Louis and Eliza with him. They landed in a heap on the ground, Harry with a grunt as Louis landed on his chest and Eliza with a shriek of laughter and she rolled to be nestled between Harry and Louis. 

They lay there for a moment, catching their breath. Harry had his arms around both Louis and his daughter, Louis’s forehead rested on Harry’s shoulder, their legs intertwined. Eliza was snuggled between them and if it hadn’t been for the heat and the fact that Harry was still finding himself distracted by Louis wearing a loose vest and nothing else over his chest, Harry would have been content to stay in that position for hours.

As it was, Harry was sweating and by the time the group caught up to them, the three of them were disentangling, Eliza still giggling happy, all three of them out of breath. 

“Didn’t see the tree root, Harry?” Liam said, cracking a full grin for the first time since Zayn joined their party.

“It jumped out at him,” Louis said. Harry still had his arm around Louis’s shoulders, but Louis didn’t move away. “We can’t blame him for a tree’s mistakes.” Louis looked up at Harry, and Harry felt the urge to kiss him more strongly than he’d felt it before.

“Perhaps Liam and Zayn should lead the way for a bit.” Gemma teased. “You seem to be a safety hazard, brother dear.” 

Harry blushed, pulling his face away from Louis’s. He glanced down at Eliza who grinned up at him. 

“Are you alright, treasure?” He asked, kneeling down to check on her.

“Of course, Papa,” she said, hugging him around the neck. “But now I’m tired.” Harry chuckled, and wrapped his arms around, picking her up and propping her on his hip. 

“Did we tire you out, Liza?” Louis asked, stroking a strand of hair out Eliza’s face. She nodded from where her head rested on Harry’s shoulder. 

“But it was fun.” She reached out to pat Louis’s cheek, and Harry and Louis exchanged a glance that somehow made Harry feel like he was sharing the weight of parenting with someone for the first time in Eliza’s life. 

“Not that I don’t love seeing this family moment,” Zayn said, “but we probably should keep moving.” 

“Probably for the best,” Niall said, grinning at Harry, Louis, and Eliza. Harry couldn’t keep the grin off his face if he tried. The idea of he, Eliza, and Louis being a family was more than he dared hope for.

Zayn nodded once and began walking, wading his way through the trees. Liam kept pace with him, and Niall followed just behind them. Gemma made to follow them but paused and looked at Louis. 

“No grand gestures,” she said cryptically, raising an eyebrow at Louis, before walking off. 

Harry looked at Louis confusedly. “What was that about?” 

Louis’s cheeks were bright red. “Nothing. No idea.” 

He swallowed and made to follow Gemma, before pausing and turning. There was tenderness on his face as he looked back at Harry and Eliza. 

“I can hold her when you get tired,” he said. 

Harry took a step towards Louis. “It’s alright, Lou.” 

Louis reached out for the hand that wasn’t holding Eliza, wrapping his fingers around Harry’s wrist. “I mean it. You don’t have to do this alone anymore, not if you don’t want to.”

Harry smiled, adjusting his hand so he could tangle his fingers through Louis’s. He started to walk, following his sister up ahead. 

“Thank you,” Harry said. 

“You’re welcome,” Louis said with a squeeze of his hand. 

They walked like that for several more paces, hand in hand, Eliza dozing on Harry’s shoulder. Up ahead they could see Niall joking with Gemma, Liam, and Zayn, making them smile. Liam seemed to be loosening up a bit and even shared a laugh with Zayn at something Niall had said.

They walked another half mile before Louis stopped them, gently pulling Eliza out of Harry’s arms. She woke up only to wrap her arms around Louis’s neck and rest her head on his shoulder. Harry gazed over at the image of his daughter in Louis’s arms and thought it was a sight he’d never get tired of seeing. 

They began walking again and Louis reached out for Harry’s hand. Harry took Louis’s hand without a word, relishing this closeness to the two people he cared about most. 

Eventually, Zayn stopped them for lunch. They tied up the donkeys in a clearing near a village and as they sat down, three young children came running up to Zayn, chattering in their native language. 

He knelt down next to them, listening to them and responding to each in turn. He kissed their heads and the smiled before leaving them to their lunch. 

“What was that about?” Gemma asked as she munched on a bit of rice. 

“I was able to bring them a few donkey’s worths of rice a few weeks ago,” Zayn said, staring after the kids as they ran back into the village. “They hadn’t had anything but fish for several months.”

“How’d you get the rice?” Liam asked and Zayn turned in surprise. 

“Bought it, at the market across the river,” Zayn said, jerking his chin in the direction they’d come. 

Liam smirked derisively. “With whose gold?” 

Zayn smirked back. “A manor house a bit further south, in one of the cities. Its Lord has returned to England.”

Liam grunted a response and went back to eating his rice. Harry watched Niall and Gemma exchange a look and Zayn sat down to eat. They ate in silence, but Harry found he didn’t mind. Louis had let go of his hand, but Harry watched as Louis gently stirred Eliza awake, sitting her on his lap with her feet falling into Harry’s lap next to him. 

“Come on, love,” Louis said softly, “Time to eat.” 

Eliza lifted her head and rubbed her eyes, looking at the plate of food in Louis’s hand. 

“Think you can manage a few bites of rice for me?” Louis asked, and Harry scooched closer, letting his arm rest behind Louis. He smiled encouragingly at his daughter. 

Eliza nodded sleepily and took the fork Louis handed her. Harry vaguely heard Gemma and Liam start talking, but Harry found himself focused solely on Eliza and Louis. 

Eliza took three bites, then, in a moment of uncharacteristic negativity, looked up at Louis and asked quietly, “Uncle Louis, when will we get tea biscuits again?” 

She sounded so forlorn and Harry reached out a hand and gently stroked her head. “We’ll be home in a few months, treasure. I know it’s hard being away from everything that’s familiar.” 

Eliza nodded sleepily and took another bite of rice. 

“When we board the ship for home,” Louis said, “we might get tea biscuits then. As soon as we can, your Papa and I will make sure you get a few, alright?”

“Absolutely,” Harry said. 

Eliza looked between her father and Louis and cracked a sleepy smile, before holding out her plate and fork to Harry. 

“I’m full, Papa.” 

Harry took the plate and fork as she snuggled back into Louis’s chest. She was lightly snoring within minutes. 

“Zayn,” Harry heard Gemma ask quietly, “mind if we take a rest here for a bit?” 

“Not at all,” Zayn said kindly. 

Niall walked towards the village, and Harry could just see him asking the locals questions with gestures and charades. Liam and Zayn sat side by side, not saying a word but Liam had lost the tension on his face. Gemma stood and came over to kiss Eliza on the head. 

“Sweet girl,” Gemma said fondly. 

“I’m a bit worried about her, actually,” Harry said. 

Louis and Gemma looked at him in surprise. 

“She’s doing wonderfully,” Gemma said softly. “She’s just tired.” 

Louis let his hand rest on Harry’s knee. “I could go for some tea biscuits myself. I’m just older and wiser and don’t show my biscuit weakness.” 

Harry chuckled, watching his daughter sleep. She did seem fine, most of the time. She was a bit tired, but Harry hoped that they could rest once they were back from the temples. They all seemed to need it a bit. 

Gemma kissed Harry on the head too. 

“Don’t worry, brother dear. She’s your daughter after all. She’ll be fine.”

She walked off towards the donkeys, finding her notebook and settling down to write. Harry felt Louis lean into him again. Harry could easily get used to Louis relying on him like that.

“Gemma’s right,” Louis said. “She’ll be fine. She’s your daughter.” 

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Harry said. “She’s going to grow up and take over the family business in the blink of an eye.” 

Louis smiled understandingly. “All the more reason to enjoy these moments with her. They don’t come around very often.” 

Harry let his chin come to rest on Louis’s shoulder and sighed. 

They sat like that for an hour, relaxing and talking quietly while Eliza slept. She woke up with a gurgle of her tummy and Harry laughed and gave her the rest of her untouched lunch before they started walking again. 

Louis and Niall led the way this time, Liam and Eliza and Gemma herding the donkeys. Zayn fell into step with Harry. 

“Is she yours or his?” Zayn asked hesitantly. 

Harry turned quickly to look at Zayn. “Eliza? She’s mine.” 

“It’s lovely, you know,” Zayn continued with a nod. “You don’t see many families like the three of you.”

“Oh, we’re not…” Harry started, anxious to correct Zayn but equally wishing that were the reality after all. “Louis and I aren’t…” 

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Zayn said bashfully. “I misinterpreted. He’s just so fond of you, you know? He can hardly stop looking at your or talking about you. You probably should...” But Harry didn’t find out what he should do. A donkey broke away from his fellows and lumbered back towards Zayn and Harry. Zayn caught hold of the donkey and took long strides to catch up to Gemma and Liam, herding the donkey in with his friends, leaving Harry to ponder Zayn’s interpretation. 

So Louis was talking about him? As much as Harry talked about him? Harry knew he could hardly take his eyes off Louis sometimes… was it the same for Louis with Harry? Harry’s heart beat a bit faster in his chest, the curiosity at what Zayn was about to say almost urging him to speed up and ask.

He glanced ahead to where Louis and Niall led the way, their heads close together as they talked. Louis glanced back at the same moment and their eyes met. Harry grinned, and Louis smiled his Harry-smile that lit up his whole face, before turning back to Niall. 

If Louis felt about him the same way he felt about Louis, Harry was sure his life would be complete. A partner who loved what he loved, who cared about his daughter as much as he did, who cared about him? It was almost too good to be true.

Harry pondered for a moment what it would be like to have Louis as his. To be Louis’s. The many conversations about history, educating Eliza together, traveling and exploring and discovering together. Harry vaguely wondered what Louis looked like when he woke up in the mornings and what he was like when he was sleepy. He wanted to know more than anything. 

He just wasn’t sure if he  _ could _ know. If he was what Louis wanted. He probably shouldn’t get his hopes up. As he’d said before, the world was generally unkind to men like him.

But Harry couldn’t help but think about how much he wanted what Zayn had said to be true: he, Eliza and Louis, together. A family. 


	3. Chapter 3

Louis called the group to rest for the night. Niall wiped some sweat off his forehead, nodding gratefully to Louis. They were all tired, and Eliza had fallen asleep in Harry’s arms once again. 

“We should get to the temple tomorrow,” Zayn said. “We can rest for the night here.” 

Niall took a sip of water from his canteen and watched his companions. Liam kept his distance from Zayn, still skeptical and untrusting of him, despite having actually carried on a conversation with Zayn earlier that day. Gemma and Harry settled Eliza on the forest floor before going to the donkeys to help Zayn and Liam unpack them. Louis meandered over to where Niall stood. 

“Hanging in there, Niall?” Louis asked, coming to stand beside him. 

Niall nodded. “I’ll sleep well tonight, that’s for sure.” 

“You and me both,” Louis said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Eliza’s awake in the middle of the night though, given how much she slept today.” 

Niall smirked at Louis. “You sound like a father already.” 

Louis shoved him in the shoulder and Niall laughed. 

“It’s a good thing,” Niall said. “You three make a nice family.” 

Louis blushed and looked down at his feet, unable to hide the wide grin on his face. Niall gave him a nudge in the shoulder. 

“I think Harry appreciates your help. Your company,” Niall said softly. Louis looked up, his eyes following Harry as Harry laughed with Gemma, Liam, and Zayn about something Garnet had done earlier in the day. 

“I like his company,” Louis replied. 

“You really ought to tell him,” Niall said. 

Louis sighed. “I know. I will. Gemma said the same thing.” 

Niall took another sip of water, frowning to himself. Seeing Louis and Harry so happy had done funny things to Niall’s heart. He’d lost his parents when he was young and in a way, he was jealous of Eliza, getting doted on and taken care of by two adults who obviously loved her. He missed that about his mother the most. 

She would have known what to do about Niall’s confusing thoughts about Gemma, what to say to Louis to help him get the courage to tell Harry how he felt. Niall’s mother had always known the right thing to say in any situation. He could never love someone like she’d loved Niall’s father like she’d loved Niall as a boy. What would she tell him now? Now, when he was missing her and couldn’t…

A hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up to Louis’s baby blues gazing at him with concern. 

“You’re thinking about your mother, aren’t you?” Louis asked. Niall sighed and nodded, looking down at his feet and blinking quickly. 

On a normal day, he could get by without thinking of her. On a normal day, he could forget his part in her death. 

However, today hadn’t been a normal day.

Louis gripped Niall’s shoulder. “I’m never going to stop telling you that it wasn’t your fault,” Louis said softly. “She never would have wanted you to carry the guilt.” 

Niall nodded again, staying quiet. He hadn’t told Louis of his conversation with Gemma.

The knowing look on Gemma’s face when she’d told him about her lost children had haunted him. He’d berated himself for hours afterward, trying to figure out a way to tell her he understood, tell her that it wasn’t her fault. To find a way to explain why he’d left without any explanation at all after she told him her own story. 

He’d kissed her hand because it seemed like the best way to convey the many emotions in his heart to her. Now he wasn’t sure. Did she think he’d just left her aimless, her confession floating in the air between them? How could he tell her that their situations were different, that she wasn’t at fault for the deaths of her children… but he was at fault for the death of his mother?

The whole thing was confusing and it had made Niall wish his mother was alive. She’d know what to say, the right words for him to hear. She’d know what he should say to Gemma, what he could do to help her know it wasn’t her fault. 

Footsteps approaching them pulled Niall out of his thoughts. He looked up to see none other than Gemma coming up to them with a smile. His stomach did a flip-flop, but he found himself returning her smile. 

“Camp’s all set up,” she said, looking between them curiously. “You two alright?” 

Louis glanced at Niall and nodded. “I think so.” He glanced around, noting the placement of the tents. “Only two tents tonight?” There was usually three since Liam didn’t want to share the same space with Zayn. 

Gemma shrugged. “Liam can live. It’ll be quicker tomorrow morning, plus it makes us less of a target. It was Harry’s idea actually.” 

“He won’t have to sleep in between the tension,” Niall said quietly, letting himself into the conversation. Gemma’s smile softened when their eyes met and he found himself relishing the way her eyes met his. “You, Harry, and Eliza get your own tent.” 

Gemma nodded bashfully. “Hopefully the tension isn’t that bad?” She asked skeptically. 

Louis chuckled. “I guess if anything happens, they’ll have to get to each other through you and me, Niall,” he said. 

Niall shrugged good-naturedly. “Oh, I’m not up for fighting tonight. Let’s hope we all sleep peacefully.”

“All except Eliza,” Louis said with a good-natured groan, watching as Eliza started a tickle war with Liam. Liam was too busy fending off an enthused Eliza to notice what Niall saw: Zayn looking at Liam like he’d just discovered a rare gem.

“I should go save Liam,” Gemma said with a chuckle. She walked away with one last smile in their direction. Niall watched her walk away, watched her duck down and scoop Eliza up in her arms and spin her in a circle, her hair, which she’d pulled out of a braid earlier in the day to let flow down her back, flying around her. 

He glanced over at Louis, hoping he was being inconspicuous. He wasn’t.

“So… Gemma,” Louis said with a smirk. 

“Shove off, Lou,” Niall said good-naturedly. “What do you know about these temples we’re seeing tomorrow?”

Louis raised an eyebrow at Niall. “I’ll let it go for now,” he said with a smirk. “The temples are Hindu, though I’m not sure which god they’re for yet. I’ll know more once we get there. They’re massive. It’s a huge complex, but that’s really as far as my knowledge goes. That’s why I’m so excited to see them.” 

“It’ll be rather incredible,” Niall said. “Gemma said they’re unlike anything else in the world.” He ignored Louis’s pointed smirk with a shrug and walked towards the rest of the group, a smile on his face. 

The rest of the evening was quiet. Despite the day napping in Louis and Harry’s arms, Eliza fell asleep early. The rest of the group followed suit not much later. Niall climbed into his bedroll, Liam on his left, Louis on his right, and Zayn on Louis’s other side. Liam and Zayn hadn’t spoken to each other, but Liam had passed Zayn a bucket of water when he’d been asked. Perhaps Liam could learn to be Zayn’s friend in the coming days.

Niall fell asleep quickly. He woke up an hour later (according to his pocket watch) to whispers outside the tent and Louis quietly outside. 

“I’m sorry if we woke you,” Harry’s voice said quietly. 

“I was awake anyway. I had a hard time falling asleep,” Louis replied. “Whatcha doing awake, love?” 

Niall heard Eliza mumble something in reply, but couldn’t make out what. Harry and Louis continued to whisper back and forth, and Niall heard Eliza’s small voice occasionally too. He fell back asleep listening to the low rumbles of their voices.

\-----

Gemma rolled over in her bedroll. She hadn’t been able to fall fully asleep, despite being exhausted from the day. She’d just drifted off to sleep when Harry and Eliza had left the tent but woke up when they came back in. 

“You’ll feel better after some sleep, treasure,” Harry said, tucking Eliza into her bedroll. 

“The noises are a little scary, sometimes,” Eliza whispered and Harry smiled down at his daughter. 

“I know,” he replied. “But don’t worry. We have Auntie Gems, and Niall and Louis and Liam, and now we have Zayn. We’re all…”

His voice trailed off, shushing Eliza for a moment. Gemma stilled too. Over the usual night noises, she heard what sounded like whoops and chants. She sat up, her heart pounding, the blood rushing away from her head.  

“Papa,” Eliza’s small voice said, “those are scary noises.” 

“Yes, Eliza,” Harry said seriously. “They are.” 

He and Gemma locked eyes and an understanding passed through them. Gemma was out of her bedroll and out of the tent in an instant, Harry and Eliza just behind her.

Niall and Liam had emerged out of their tent, Liam’s sword in one hand, Niall digging around in his bag and rubbing his eyes. Louis and Zayn were right behind them, both had swords out and Louis had a gun in his right hand. The six of them exchanged a glance, all slightly out of breath. 

“Run or fight?” Liam asked Gemma. The hollering and chanting were getting louder, they heard something crash in the woods, and something like glass breaking. 

“Our best chance is probably to fight,” Zayn said. 

“We have a child in our midst,” Liam spat out. Gemma refrained from reminding him they’d already fought people several times with Eliza with them. 

“And we won’t be able to run,” Zayn replied quickly. “If we’re lucky they’ll be drunk and we can scare them away.” 

Liam rounded on Zayn. “Scare them away? Are you insane?” 

“Gentlemen,” Gemma said, trying to sound as stern as possible. “How close are they, Zayn?” 

“Maybe three minutes away,” he replied. 

“So we don’t have time to pack up the tents,” Gemma said. 

“Should we even try?” Niall asked. The voices were definitely getting louder and Gemma could easily tell now that the group headed toward them was definitely drunk. Slurring voices carried through the trees. Zayn, Liam, and Niall began creeping towards the edge of the clearing, trying to see through the trees.

“What are our chances that they’re competent fighters even while drunk?” Liam asked and Gemma almost gasped out loud when he looked to Zayn for the answer. 

Zayn flinched at something that sounded like an explosion. “High,” he said. “Very high.”

Suddenly, the tree just behind Niall and Zayn caught fire, bursting into bright orange flames, lighting up the night. Eliza shrieked, and Niall and Zayn jumped away just in time as it crashed to the jungle floor. 

“Get together!” Liam cried, and the six adults ran to one another, Louis scooping up Eliza and Garnet running to their feet, hovering by Niall and looking ready to pounce. 

“What’s the plan?” Niall asked, uncorking bottles with his teeth and kneeling down to mix their contents together. Garnet whined next to him and he patted her head.

“What caused that explosion?” Louis asked Niall. Liam was shuffling in his pockets, making sure his guns were ready and Gemma grabbed her sword from where she’d left it by the fire.

“I’m not sure,” Niall said, “but it’s not good that they have fireworks too. It means we don’t have an advantage and we can’t scare them away with explosions.” 

“We might want our guns for this,” Harry said, his face turning to the concentrated steel Gemma recognized. 

“I’d say both,” Gemma added. The whooping and yelling was getting so loud they almost had to shout to be heard, and another tree caught flame near them. 

Eliza squeaked and Louis shushed her. Gemma glanced around them and she and Liam exchanged a glance, trying to come up with a plan. Zayn took a few steps away from them again, towards the direction the noise was coming from. 

“Louis,” Harry’s voice was pleading but firm. “Take Eliza.” 

“What?” Louis gaped at him. Niall’s eyes went wide and Liam did a double take. 

“Please,” Harry said. He gripped Louis’s arm and they locked eyes. Something unspoken passed between them. “Protect her. Run, if you need to. I trust you.” 

“I won’t leave you,” Louis said but the words sounded stiff. “What do you expect us to do if something happens?” Harry looked for a moment like he might cave, but then Eliza spoke.

“Papa,” Eliza started, but Harry shushed her, snapping back into serious problem-solving mode. 

“Treasure, go with Louis,” he said. “Stay safe.” 

Louis and Harry exchanged one last look and Louis nodded once, looking like he was trying to solve a complicated math problem. He squeezed Gemma’s shoulder and ran around the tents, sliding into the darkness of the trees, clutching Eliza to him. 

Gemma turned and another tree caught fire near them, and the source of the noise erupted out of the darkness. Twenty men, each armed with swords and guns leaped into their camp. They suddenly didn’t seem so drunk. They had a gleam in their eyes. They looked ready to kill. 

Zayn reacted first, and slashed down the two closest men with his sword in one quick motion, trying to hold them off before they could get to Liam, Gemma, Harry, and Niall. He and one fighter got stuck in combat and the rest of the men swarmed around him running at Gemma, Liam, Niall, and Harry. 

Liam and Harry ran at their attackers, Garnet at their heels, and Gemma knelt next to Niall just for a moment as swords began clanging around them. 

“How much time do you need?” She asked, glancing around her as Liam and Harry clashed with several fighters.

“As much as you can give me,” He responded and Gemma stood, running into the fray. 

Four fighters against eighteen were horrible odds, but Gemma kept the look on Harry and Louis’s faces in her mind’s eye. She had to make sure her brother saw his daughter again. Four men surrounded her, chuckling darkly. They spoke, and she didn’t need to understand their language to get the message. 

She would not let them have their way with her. One came at her and in one smooth motion, she sliced his chest, blood spilling out his stomach. A second snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, but she pushed up from the ground, flipping herself over his head, cracking his neck in the process. She landed and the third threw a knife at her. She dodged it, slicing the legs of the fourth one and when she rounded on the third, he already had a knife in his chest. 

She looked around and met Niall’s eyes. He nodded and went back to his mixing, occasionally looking up and throwing knives as he could, the concoction at his feet burning like embers. 

Gemma ran over to Harry who had just taken out two more men. She stabbed a man in the back just as he was aiming his sword for Harry’s side. The man fell with a groan and Gemma leaped over him, just as Harry slashed the neck of another attacker. She and Harry shared a look and Harry dashed over to Niall to help him.

Across the clearing, Gemma saw Liam and Zayn fighting back to back, facing the remaining ten men. Despite the five to one odds, Liam and Zayn were holding their own, fighting like they’d fought side by side all their lives. Liam ducked and Zayn dove and they used each other’s momentum to drive their attacks. 

It was chaos and Gemma stabbed another man in the back, slashing through arms and legs to get to Liam and Zayn. Garnet bit and growled at the feet of their attackers. Gemma heard gunshots, someone shouting, a great bang that made the ground shake, and out of the trees came a giant creature. 

Gemma, Liam, Zayn, and the remaining fighters turned, the creature’s shadow clear against the trees. It was massive and lumbering, with four arms and what looked like antlers out of its head. Gemma’s eyes widened. Of all the things she’d seen in the jungle, this was not one of them. Five of the fighters shrieked and ran off into the woods, four remaining. 

Zayn took advantage of that moment to shoot down another fighter. Gemma threw a knife past Liam’s head, impaling a fighter in his skull. She heard Harry shout, vaguely saw Niall and Harry running to them and all of a sudden she was being shoved to the ground as an explosion went off behind her, lighting up the clearing around them. 

She heard two more screams and looked up to see the remaining fighters running into the trees. Whoever had shoved her to the ground rolled off and she looked over to see Niall lying next to her, breathing heavily, his face covered in what looked like grey soot. Harry was kneeling, coughing and dabbing at a bloody gash on his cheek, and Gemma could make out the forms of Zayn and Liam just next to him.

She heard footsteps behind her and sat up, the shadow of the creature that had frightened their attackers morphing into two shadows as Louis and Eliza came out from behind the trees. Louis paused to let Eliza down from where she sat on his shoulders, then the two of them ran at Harry like they were being chased by the being they’d pretended to be.

Gemma found herself laughing, relief coursing through her. The clearing they’d camped in was smoldering, devoid of most of the men they’d fought, but they were alright. She reached a hand out to touch Niall’s forearm, just to make sure he was real. 

He grinned and helped her to her feet, pulling her into a hug. She hugged him back, grateful for his strong chest under her cheek. They were fine. They were going to be fine. He let her go and she pulled back. 

“You’ve got a bit of a gash…” Niall gestured to her neck. She wiped at her neck and it came away bloody. She shrugged. 

“It happens.” She said with a chuckle. Niall grinned back. 

There was a happy shout from Eliza behind them. Gemma and Niall turned just in time to see Louis and Eliza run into Harry’s arms.

\-----

Harry knelt down and opened his arms, grunting as Eliza flung herself into his chest. Louis slammed down to his knees and wrapped his arms around Harry’s shoulders. Harry clutched them both to him, hardly caring that he was squishing them, hardly caring that he knew exactly how relieved he looked. Harry thought he’d never felt more complete than in that moment, holding the two people in the world who were most important to him. 

Sending them away had been horrible but he knew that he had to get Eliza away and as much as he loved his sister, as much as he knew Louis was a competent fighter, Louis was the only person Harry felt he could trust with his daughter. 

He felt Louis’s tears on his face, the saltiness burning the gash in his cheek, but he didn’t care. He felt his own happy tears pouring down his face and he was sure he’d never be so relieved to have Louis next to him and his daughter back in his arms.

“Are you both alright?” Harry asked wetly, pulling back just a bit to look at their faces. They looked unharmed and Louis had a satisfied grin on his face. “You were brilliant,” Harry said, cupping Louis’s cheek in his hand. 

“I had a good assistant,” Louis said, and Eliza giggled, hugging Louis and Harry with her small arms. Harry and Louis rested their foreheads together, breathing deeply, Harry still cupping Louis’s cheek.

“Please don’t ever send me away again,” Louis said softly into Harry’s ear. “If you care about me at all, please never send me away.” 

Harry snaked his arm around Louis’s waist, pulling him closer, tucking his face into Louis’s neck. He hadn’t realized it when he’d sent them away, but he must have made Louis feel useless, which was the last thing he’d ever wanted to make Louis feel. Louis was vitally important, to their journey and to Harry. How could he have sent him away? 

Eliza was even growing up faster than he expected. The fact that she’d kept her cool and helped Louis scare away their attackers was a testament to her fearlessness and bravery.    


“I’m sorry,” Harry said, and he was. “I didn’t mean…” He trailed off, uncertain what to say to rectify his actions.

“I know you didn’t,” Louis said. “It’s alright.” 

Harry almost whispered it right then.  _ I do care for you _ , he thought. He could easily whisper it into Louis’s ear, kiss him on his neck, look in his eyes and see if Louis cared about him too. He opened his mouth to say it, finally say it, but the events of the evening caught up to them before he could.

“Liam, what’s happened?” The tension in Gemma’s voice pulled Harry out of his stupor and away from Louis and Eliza. The three of them stood and turned to see Liam flat on his back, breathing heavily, Zayn kneeling over him, holding Liam’s head in his lap and gently talking to him. Garnet paced around Liam’s feet, whining.

Liam was groaning under his breath, shaking his head from side to side and as Louis dashed over, he could see tears sliding down Liam’s cheeks. Liam winced and Zayn shushed him gently, talking to him in low tones. 

“What happened?” Louis asked Zayn as he kneeled down. Zayn didn’t look up and started stripping Liam of his shirt and opening his pants. It took a second for the blood to register, widening to stain Liam’s white shirt as if it poured from his stomach. Zayn freed Liam of his shirt with gentle hands and Harry saw Liam’s chest heaving with labored breathing. 

A bullet was lodged in Liam’s hip, another on the side of his chest under his arm, and one in his shoulder, the wounds red and angry. Zayn took his own shirt off and bundled it underneath Liam’s head, gently letting him rest on the ground.

“It’s alright, Liam,” Zayn said calmly, gesturing for Niall to bring his pack over, pulling out various instruments and tonics. “Get me light, hot water, anything we can use to stop the bleeding and a bandage,” he said to no one in particular but Harry directed Niall to hot water, Gemma to rags and bandages and himself to light. Eliza stayed as close to Harry as she could.

Harry heard her small voice ask, “Will Uncle Liam be alright?” 

“We’re going to try, darling,” Louis replied from where he sat helping Zayn put Liam’s shirt to the side and press rags to Liam’s wounds to stop the bleeding. Up until that moment, Harry hadn’t fully registered that Liam had been shot. And was bleeding profusely. 

The prospect of losing his daughter had been heartwrenching, but he’d known he could trust her safety to Louis. Losing one of his oldest friends confronted him with a bleak and cruel coldness. His breath hitched and he hurried over with two torches in hand, staking them in the ground so Zayn could see clearly. 

Eliza pulled her hand out of Harry’s and came to sit by Liam’s face. Harry rushed after her and sat between her and Zayn, who was wiping blood away from Liam’s wound on his hip. Harry sat down in silence, watching his daughter run her hand comfortingly across Liam’s forehead. Gemma and Niall stood at Liam’s feet and if Harry hadn’t been so worried, he would have reminded himself to give his sister a bit of shit later. Niall’s arm was around her shoulders. 

Liam opened his eyes and saw Eliza first. He tried to smile, which caused more tears to run down his cheeks. She wiped them away with her strong hands and Harry wondered when his daughter had become so mature without his permission. 

“Uncle Liam,” she said quietly, “you have to be alright. You promised me you’d teach me to ride horses this summer.” 

Liam nodded and winced. “I’ll try,” he whispered. His voice sounded hoarse and far away. 

Liam’s gaze went to Zayn. They locked eyes, but Zayn smiled softly and gripped Liam’s shoulder. 

“This is going to hurt,” Zayn said. “You have to trust me.” He didn’t say it with any malice. Harry wondered briefly if Zayn had come to care for Liam, despite the cold shoulder… the look in his eye was one of pain and concern behind his calm exterior. 

There was a tense moment, Liam and Zayn staring one another down, and Harry gripped Liam’s other shoulder. After what felt like an eternity, Liam nodded and Zayn handed him a rag, looking a bit relieved. 

“You’ll want to bite on this,” he said. “We don’t have time to get to the whiskey.” Liam paled, but nodded, letting Louis place the rag between his teeth. 

“Eliza, come here,” Gemma said and her tone brokered no argument. Eliza stood and rushed over, hiding her head in Gemma’s stomach. Harry vaguely heard Niall whisper something about herbs and whiskey and beckoned Garnet. Niall, Gemma, Eliza, and Garnet huddled together at Liam’s feet.  

Zayn looked at Harry and Louis, his hands resting gently on Liam’s stomach. 

“You two are going to have to hold him down,” Zayn said. He looked down at Liam next, his eyes kind but firm. “You have to stay still. Otherwise, I can’t get the bullets out.” 

Harry felt blood rush to his ears and his heart pounded in his chest. He looked down at Liam. His oldest friend nodded once and shut his eyes. Louis and Harry braced themselves on Liam’s shoulders. 

“Take a deep breath,” Zayn said and even though the instruction was intended for Liam, Harry inhaled deeply. As Liam let out the breath, Zayn reacted, going in first for the bullet in Liam’s side. 

Liam let out a muffled scream, the rag between his teeth doing little to hide how much pain he was in. Louis and Harry both had to force Liam back down, their combined weight just able to keep Liam still on the ground. 

Zayn pulled the bullet out after a few seconds, going in for the one in Liam’s hip next. Harry shushed Liam, and Louis muttered encouraging nonsense. Harry hoped Gemma was making sure Eliza didn’t see this. Liam was squinting in pain, breathing heavily and was paler than Harry had ever seen him.

Zayn finally went for the bullet in Liam’s shoulder, pulling it out cleanly, and Liam’s cries became softer. Louis pulled the rag out from his teeth and Liam lifted his uninjured arm to cover his eyes, letting himself sob. Zayn continued working, Liam’s bare chest heaving.

Harry felt Louis gripping his thigh and he slid his fingers through Louis’s, the stability and steadiness of Louis’s form calming him down. They both were breathing heavily, a bit shell-shocked at holding Liam down.

Zayn quickly cleaned the wounds with the hot water, wiping away the blood and making sure the wounds were free of debris and dirt before stitching them up. Niall kneeled next to him, holding out a small bowl. 

“It’s a poultice. Old remedy of my mother’s,” Niall said, his voice calm and steadying. “It’ll help with the pain and make sure the wounds don’t get infected.” 

“Thank you,” Zayn said, taking it and spreading it with care on Liam’s wounds. “They didn’t reach bone, so you won’t have any permanent injuries,” He said, speaking to Liam but talking loudly enough so they could all hear. “The bullets only went in a few centimeters. Your wounds will heal. You’ll have to be careful the next few days.” He gestured for Louis and Harry to help lift Liam’s torso, and Zayn wrapped bandages around Liam’s torso, shoulder, and hip.

They gently laid Liam back down. He was still breathing heavily, but his breaths were even and less erratic. Zayn rested his hand on Liam’s chest. 

“Your heartbeat is steadier now,” he said softly. “That’s good.” 

“How did you know what to do?” Louis asked. 

“I studied to be a doctor,” Zayn said without any additional explanation. He looked back down at Liam, brushing the hair off of Liam’s forehead and wetting a rag to clean some of the sweat and grime off Liam’s face. Liam’s eyes locked onto Zayn’s and something unspoken was exchanged between them. 

“Thank you,” Liam said shakily. “You saved my life.” He made to lift his right hand but winced at the pain in his shoulder.

Zayn smiled a relieved sort of smile and gently took Liam’s hand in his own. He didn’t shake it, just squeezed it, their clasped hands resting on Liam’s chest. 

“Thank you for trusting me,” Zayn said quietly, and Harry got the feeling that was something just for Liam’s ears and not his own or Louis’s. 

Eliza came running over and kneeled next to Liam’s side, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. She looked up at Zayn. “Thank you for saving him, Mister Zayn.” 

Gemma chuckled in relief. “I don’t know what we would have done without you, Zayn.” She beckoned Eliza and Niall over to set camp to rights. They made sure the fires were put out, the dropped weapons were added to their packs, and Gemma and Niall set up the second tent. Louis stood to help them, gathering up the donkeys while Niall checked on Garnet.

Zayn shrugged and glanced back down at Liam with a hesitant smile. “I’m glad I was here.” 

Harry wasn’t sure what emotion flashed in his friend’s eyes but he heard the gratitude loud and clear when Liam next spoke. He’d never heard his friend sound that relieved or that affected. 

“I’m glad you were here too.” Liam’s voice was quiet against the heavy breathing and flickering of fire in the lamps. He hesitantly smiled up at Zayn. It was a smile Harry had never seen on Liam’s face before.

\-----

“I’m perfectly fine!’’

“You are not fine.” 

“I’m not an invalid, Harry.”

“No, but you’re definitely incapacitated at the moment.”

“Sure, but I can walk just fine.”

Harry rolled his eyes.“You’ve got stitches in three places and we haven’t tried to move you since last night!”

“Doesn’t mean I have to lie as still as the dead!” Liam flailed his hands about, as much as he could anyways. His right arm had limited mobility but he still possessed his occasional dramatics.

“Let’s not joke about the dead, please,” Gemma added, passing Liam the cup of tea Niall had brought in for him and trying to withhold a chuckle. Liam and Harry had been arguing about Liam’s mobility for fifteen minutes.

“Uncle Liam, why are you wincing?” Eliza queried from her spot between Harry and Louis.

“I’m fine, Eliza, really.” 

“You don’t look fine, Uncle Liam.” Gemma could see Liam try to not outright glare at Eliza and had to cough to hide her giggle. Niall smirked at her knowingly.

“Treasure, why don’t you go give Garnet her breakfast?” Harry said. “I’ll be along in just a minute.”

Eliza meandered out of the tent leaving Gemma, Harry, Louis, and Niall standing over Liam. He lay on his bedroll in the tent, propped up by shirts and blankets they’d been able to spare. Zayn stood by the tent flap, watching the interaction with a smirk. 

Harry sighed. “I just think we should be cautious.”

“You’ve never been cautious a day in your life, Harry Styles.” Liam scratched his forehead and outright frowned at his right shoulder.

“Of course I have, I have a daughter.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Honestly, I’m fine.”

“I think we should ask Zayn about that,” Niall said with finality.

The four men looked at Zayn, who sighed and walked over to kneel next to Liam’s chest. Gemma found herself observing them, feeling inches away from bursting into laughter or starting an essay on the habits of men in pain.

“Can I check your wounds?” Zayn asked quietly, ignoring the rest of the group. He smiled at Liam in a way that was the farthest thing from condescending. 

Liam nodded and sat up, only allowing Zayn to help him with a gentle arm around his torso. Niall passed Zayn a bowl of the same poultice he’d made last night.

Gemma knelt down at Liam’s other side, watching as Zayn removed bandages and applied Niall’s poultice to Liam’s wounds. Liam winced, sucking in his breath as Zayn examined the wound in Liam’s side. Zayn let his hand rest of Liam’s stomach, rubbing his thumb gently along Liam’s belly button, and Liam’s wince slowly faded.

“I think if Zayn says you’re able to,” Gemma said, “then you can come to Angkor Wat, as long as you’re careful.” 

“Thank you, mother,” Liam said, snark dripping from his words.

She swatted at his head. 

“Hey, I’m injured here!” Liam cried. 

“Ha!” Harry shouted, pointing at Liam. “You admit it.” 

“Oh, go dig up some bones or something, Styles,” Liam said. There was no malice in his voice, and he and Harry chuckled good-naturedly. 

Zayn moved to the wound in Liam’s hip. “This one will heal the fastest,” he said, tapping it gently. “Your shoulder will take longer.”

Liam sighed. “I guess it’s good I know how to fight with my left hand.”

Gemma glanced around at her companions. They were all a little worse for wear. Niall still had traces of soot from his explosion laced through in his hair and burn marks along his forearms, and Harry had bruises on his arms from where one of their attackers had tried to grab him. The gash on Gemma’s neck had been seen to by Zayn, but she hated the bandage he’d used and she couldn’t turn her head in all directions. 

Louis and Eliza weren’t injured, but Gemma thought she’d seen the two of them stay a bit closer to Harry as they went about getting breakfast. Zayn himself was covered in scratches and bruises, just like the rest of them. They made a sorry bunch, but Gemma was grateful they were all alive. 

“I think you can try walking,” Zayn said, emphasizing  _ try _ . “Don’t push yourself.” 

Liam sighed happily and made to lean forward to stand, only to wince when his side buckled in a bit. He fell back, Zayn’s arms catching him before he fell. 

“Go slow,” Zayn said, wrapping an arm around Liam’s waist and gently hoisting Liam to stand. Liam swayed where he stood and he gripped Zayn with his good arm. 

“Dizzy?” Zayn asked. Liam nodded. 

“Harry, Louis, why don’t we work on breakfast?” Niall said, gesturing for the other two to follow him out of the tent. They did, bidding Liam good luck as they left. 

“Do you want me to stay?” Gemma asked. She didn't want to embarrass or impose on Liam, but part of her wanted to make sure he was in good hands. Zayn saved his life, but Gemma still wanted to know for herself that Liam was alright.

“Yes,” Liam said, his breath a bit ragged as he stood, shifting from foot to foot to test his weight. “So there’s a second opinion on my ability to walk."

Gemma and Zayn chuckled and Liam cracked a smile. 

“Am I supposed to be shaking this much?” Liam asked Zayn quietly. He was rather pale and Zayn placed his other hand on Liam’s uninjured shoulder. Gemma reached out and touched Liam’s wrist. He felt clammy to the touch, and he was shaking an awful lot.

“If you were less stubborn,” Zayn said, “I’d have you bedridden for a week at least.”

“A week?” Liam’s voice cracked. 

“Well, you did have three bullets in your torso,” Zayn said, his tone sassy and sarcastic. “Did you miss the part where I fished them out of you?” 

Liam shuddered. “God, don’t remind me.” 

“I will if I have to,” Zayn said. “This isn’t going to be easy.”

“No shit,” Liam said and Gemma almost laughed. Liam was pouting, his bottom lip sticking out. She wondered how much was genuine and how much was for show. 

“It’s not all bad,” Zayn said, his tone gently teasing. “Women like scars.” 

“Well, too bad I’m not interested in women,” Liam said and his eyebrows to flew to his hairline. He looked as if he wanted nothing more than to clap a hand over his mouth. Gemma gaped at him in surprise and she felt Zayn tense up beside her. He was looking at Liam’s shoulder very intently, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. 

“Liam, why don’t you have a sip of tea?” Gemma said, cutting through the tension. She picked up the cup of tea and put it in Liam’s hand. Zayn slid his hand off Liam’s shoulder and Liam drank quickly, his cheeks tinged pink. 

“If you need to stay here…” Gemma started, but Liam cut her off.

“I’ll be fine,” Liam said. He wasn’t shaking anymore. He took a step forward, Zayn’s arm sliding from his waist. Liam smiled, taking another slow step. He walked around the tent twice, slowly and with a few stumbles, but successfully, and smirked satisfactory at Zayn and Gemma by the end. Zayn looked at him skeptically but sighed. 

“I don’t like it,” Zayn said, “but you can walk. I’m checking your bandages at every break and rest though and we’re changing them twice a day.” 

“Fine,” Liam said, relief clear in his voice. 

“I’ll let the rest of the group know,” Gemma said, and left the tent, pausing just long enough to hear Liam thank Zayn for his help. 

“It’s no problem,” Zayn replied. “I’m glad I could help.”

“Still,” Liam said and he sounded contrite, grateful, and sincere all at once, “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. I should have.” 

“It doesn’t matter now,” came Zayn’s voice, softer and more tender than Gemma had heard it in the few days of knowing him. There was some shuffling and Liam grunted. 

“I can help you walk,” Zayn said hesitantly. There was another grunt. Zayn spoke again. “I’m not trying to be condescending. It’s just that having a bit of help will heal you faster. Especially since you want to walk to the Temple.”

There was a pause and Gemma could almost imagine Liam frowning in thought, mulling between having to accept Zayn’s help and not going to Angkor Wat. Finally, he spoke. “I’d like that,” came Liam’s reply. Gemma smiled to herself and strode across the clearing.

“Is Liam coming along, then?” Harry asked as she approached, looking skeptical and resigned all at the same time. 

Gemma nodded. “Zayn will help him. He did two laps of the tent, mostly on his own. We’ll just have to go slow.” 

“We can do that,” Louis said. “We’re not far. Maybe a few hours’ walk?” 

“Let’s hope Liam can stand it,” Harry said. 

“Literally,” Niall added.

Liam and Zayn came out of the tent then, Liam’s arm around Zayn’s shoulders and Zayn’s arm around his waist. 

“I’ll be fine, Harry,” Liam said. “See? I’m walking.” 

He paused, taking in a deep breath and Gemma wondered if everyone else could see how much he was relying on Zayn. 

“You know,” Niall said as he and Eliza approached the group, “We could clear out one of the donkeys so you could ride him, Liam. I can carry my own pack again.” Niall hadn’t carried a heavy pack since they’d left their original guide. 

“I don’t want…” Liam started but Niall waved him off. 

Don’t worry about it,” Niall said. “I’ve already repacked and everything.” 

“I think that’s a good idea,” Zayn said. Liam glanced at Zayn, who nodded encouragingly. 

“Fine,” Liam said dejectedly. “I guess that way I won’t slow us down.”

Gemma smiled gratefully and went back into the tent to begin packing. Harry and Eliza joined her a few moments later, and they had the tent empty and packed in no time. 

Gemma loaded up her bedroll and daypack onto one of the donkeys while Harry helped Eliza climb up onto another. Zayn helped Liam settle onto a donkey with no burden, and Niall and Louis slung larger, heavier packs onto their backs. 

Gemma walked over to them. 

“You both will be alright with the extra weight?” She asked, glancing between them. 

“Of course!” Louis said. “We used to do this when we’d go spend the night outdoors with our university mates.” He hoisted the bag a bit higher, tightened a strap, and walked over to Harry, who was looking over the map with Zayn. 

Gemma turned back to Niall. He grinned at her, a bit of hesitation in his gaze. 

“Thank you for carrying more weight,” Gemma said. “It’ll be better for Liam.” 

Niall nodded. “I don’t mind. He should heal up as fast as possible. We need him, whether he knows it or not.” 

Gemma smiled a bit. “It’s true. And we need Zayn too, although I don’t think any of us knew it.” 

“It is rather a miracle that we traipsed through the desert last year without a doctor. Especially considering we were being hunted.”

Gemma chuckled and she and Niall followed the group out of the clearing. Louis and Harry took the lead, consulting the map and asking Zayn for clarification as they needed it. 

Zayn walked beside Liam, keeping an eye on him and encouraging him to drink water and to tell them if he needed to stop for a rest. Garnet darted amongst the donkeys, licking at Eliza’s feet. Garnet was becoming a good herding dog and when one of the donkeys got distracted by a bit of grass, she urged him on. 

Gemma and Niall found themselves at the back of the group again. Niall was breathing a little harder now, the pack on his back much heavier than he’d been handling for most of the trip. His mood didn’t seem affected by it though and he had his usual cheerful attitude out in full force. 

“How’s your neck today?” He asked and Gemma reached her hand up to her neck, feeling the bandage from where Zayn had wrapped it around her neck and down to her collarbone. 

“I’m ready for the bandage to come off,” she said with an amused chuckle. “I can hardly move my neck and it’s making me antsy.” 

“Antsy for another fight already?” Niall teased. 

“Last night was enough for a few days,” Gemma said ruefully. “I’m eager to see these temples.” 

“I’m ready to finally do a bit of work,” Niall said. 

“You miss your apothecary, don’t you?” Gemma asked, suspecting the answer before she heard it. 

“I do,” Niall said. “I love doing what we're doing but occasionally I miss the instant gratification of helping someone who needs it.” 

“You helped Liam,” Gemma said. 

Niall sighed heavily. “I’m just glad he’s alright. It could have been much worse.” 

“Have you seen anything like that before?” Gemma asked.

‘I’m no doctor, but…” Niall hesitated. “The Forty Thieves got themselves in all sorts of scrapes. Bullet wounds, knife wounds, missing fingers. They’re the strongest women I know though, so they took everything without complaining.” 

“I’d like to meet them,” Gemma said. “They sound like women I’d like.”

“Oh, they’d love you,” Niall said quickly. “You’d get along well with them. They’d take you under their wing and you’d be an expert lock picker by the end of the week.”

Gemma tilted her head and looked at him. “That’s what your mother was, wasn’t it? A lock picker?” 

Niall quieted for a moment, then nodded. “She could get herself out of almost any situation.” 

“What couldn’t she get out of?” 

Niall chewed on his bottom lip, shrugging. Gemma accepted his silence, for now. She still wanted to know what he thought when they talked like this, dancing around his mother, her death, and why he seemed to carry so much guilt. 

They walked on, and despite their exhaustion from fighting in the middle of the night (Niall didn’t get his night of peaceful sleep as he’d hoped), they were a cheery group. 

Up ahead, Louis and Harry joked and teased and Gemma could see Louis explaining something on the map to Harry. She grinned. He brother wasn’t the best with directions but he seemed to be learning quite a bit from Louis. 

Eliza had gotten antsy and she and Garnet were playing a game of tag, running around the donkeys. Harry shushed her several times until finally he stopped the group and knelt down on her level to explain that the louder she was the more likely they would run into other people. She solemnly listened and kept her shrieking to a minimum after that.

Liam and Zayn, however, were the ones giving Gemma the most interest. She’d almost become used to Liam regarding Zayn with disdain or ignoring him completely. Now, they chatted amiably, chuckling together at Eliza’s antics and getting excited about the new ships Liam had seen when they’d left England. Zayn would check in with Liam and Liam let him, which amazed Gemma every time Liam answered without sass or tension. He didn’t seem to mind letting Zayn take care of him. If anything, now, they seemed like trusted comrades.

It was mind-boggling. Liam was one of the strongest people she knew. Seeing him allow someone else, especially someone he had considered an enemy take care of him was stunning. Zayn didn’t seem to mind either. He gently teased a smile out of Liam, and they chuckled together frequently. Every time they stopped for a break, and Zayn would check Liam’s wounds, Gemma caught several small smiles from Liam. 

She made a mental note to talk to him later. She wanted to know what he was thinking. Badly. 

Niall tapped her on the forearm, pulling her attention back to their surroundings and she gasped. 

There, in front of them, perched like a gem on the forest floor, was Angkor Wat. The groups of temples stretched out before them, clustered like a pile of gold coins. Louis and Harry paused, causing everyone else to stop too. Gemma covered her mouth with one of her hands, tears filling her eyes. 

She’d never seen anything so beautiful. 

The temple was a bit worn down, vines and trees growing in and around it, but even still, Gemma couldn’t pull her eyes away. 

Great spires rose up into the sky, flanking what looked like a courtyard from their vantage point. A moat surrounded it and while the bricks were crumbling, the temple had an aura of grace and regalness about it. 

“Gems,” Louis called. 

“I see it, Lou,” she replied. “It’s better than anything I’ve ever seen.” 

“Wait till you get inside it,” Zayn said, helping Liam down from the donkey, keeping his arm around Liam’s waist for stability. 

Gemma squeaked and Niall’s hand came to her lower back, gently pushing her forward. 

“Let’s go see it, Gems,” Niall said softly and Gemma had such a recollection of Eddie saying the same thing to her that she was able to pull her gaze away from the temple to stare at Niall. She grinned, sure she looked a bit crazed in her delight, but he only smiled back, his grin wide, his eyes bright, taking her in as if seeing her happy was all he wanted to see. 

His hand gave her a gentle nudge and he took a step forward, tugging her along as Louis led the group down the hill to the valley where Angkor Wat rested.

\-----

Harry chuckled to himself as they approached the front of the temples. They tied up the donkeys in a cluster of trees, and Harry watched with amusement as Louis stood at the edge of the trees, his eyes roaming over the temples. Gemma was standing next to him, talking excitedly to Niall, and gesturing at different things she could see. 

Eliza hung back by Harry, her arms wrapped around his calf. 

“Papa,” she asked, looking up at him with her big green eyes, “Uncle Louis and Auntie Gems are really excited.” 

She’d been a bit more subdued since his conversation with her earlier, telling her to be a bit quieter. Harry knelt down, took her small hands in his, and kissed her on the forehead.

“They are,” he replied. “They’ve been waiting for a long time to see this.” 

Eliza nodded. 

“Thank you for being quieter this morning,” Harry said. “I know it’s hard.” 

“I know, Papa,” she said. “I don’t want another fight.” 

“You were very brave last night,” Harry said. He could vaguely hear his companions talking around them, but he kept his focus on his daughter. “I know it was scary.” 

“You weren’t scared,” Eliza said, looking at her father curiously.

Harry chuckled. “I was, though. I was afraid of losing you."

“And Louis,” Eliza said and Harry once again marveled at how smart his daughter had become when he wasn’t looking.

“I…” Harry swallowed but figured he might as well be honest with his daughter. “I love you both very much.” His voice shook… it was the first time admitting out loud that he loved Louis. But he did. 

“I know, Papa,” Eliza said and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Harry held her close to him, kissing her hair and letting himself breathe in his daughter’s sweet smell. “I love Louis too,” She whispered in his ear and Harry smiled, glancing up at Louis. 

Louis caught his eye and smiled, the smile that made his eyes crinkle in the corners. 

“Papa,” Eliza said, “you’re squishing me.” 

Harry chuckled, gave her one more squeeze, then let her go. She giggled and rubbed her eyes. She was obviously tired and Harry couldn’t blame her. None of them had slept well after their attack the night before and Eliza had insisted on falling asleep as close to Harry as she could. He hadn’t minded at all. The only way it could have been better was if Louis had been with them. 

“Sorry, treasure,” he said bashfully. Eliza grinned and kissed Harry on the cheek. 

“Silly Papa,” she said fondly. 

Harry stood and took Eliza’s hand and they walked over to where the rest of their group was clustered. 

“How do we want to do this?” Liam asked. He was sweaty and pale and leaning heavily on Zayn, but he smiled at Harry. 

“We don’t know what we’re going into, so a plan would be best,” Zayn said.

“Maybe we should send in just a few of us to find the idol,” Niall said. He was kneeling on the ground petting Garnet and surveying the moat. “It’ll be easier with fewer people, you’ll call less attention to yourselves, and the rest of us can stay here and watch the donkeys.” 

“I think that’s a good plan,” Harry said. “Liam, Niall, why don’t you two stay with Eliza and Garnet and the donkeys? Zayn, Gemma, Louis, and I can go in.”

Liam nodded reluctantly, and Zayn helped him over to a tree to sit down. Eliza made her way to Niall, who scooped her up and started tickling her. Harry made his way to the donkey carrying his things, grabbed his sword and gun, and tucked a journal in his pocket just in case. 

“A bit of rest will do you good,” Zayn said to Liam, “and we’ll be back in no time.” 

“I hope this idol is worth it,” Liam grumbled halfheartedly. Harry looked up in time to see Zayn smile down at Liam. 

“I have no idea about that, but it’ll help me find my father,” Zayn started. 

“I know, I know,” Liam said in a voice that seemed as if he’d already heard the reason Zayn was wanting to find his father. The real reason. Harry frowned. He didn’t think Liam and Zayn had become that close in the past few hours. 

Zayn stood with a squeeze to Liam’s good shoulder and fell into stride with Harry. They walked to meet Gemma and Louis. 

“What does Liam know?” Harry asked. “I couldn’t help but overhear.” 

Zayn shrugged. “He knows why I want to find my father. I thought it was only fair. I saved his life which puts him in debt to me. He knows something important about me and that puts me in debt to him, in a way.” 

“Was it a fair trade?” Harry asked. 

“Liam seems to think so. And it felt that way to me.” Zayn said. Harry frowned. What was Zayn’s history? Liam had certainly bartered before for information, although Harry thought this was rather extreme.

“Shall we get going?” Louis asked once Harry and Zayn reached him. “The sooner we’re in, the sooner we’re out and it may look peaceful from here, but I’m learning to never take peace for granted in the jungle.” 

Zayn chuckled. “You’ll be a natural in no time.”

The four of them jogged through the trees, sliding out of the protection of the jungle into the open of the temple. Gemma and Louis gaped up at the tall spires, pausing to take it in. 

“We don’t want to linger,” Zayn said. He picked up his pace and jogged across the bridge, crouching down and making as little noise as possible, Gemma, Louis, and Harry close behind him. They reached the doors and Zayn slid them open with little trouble. They were old and out of use, but didn’t make a sound as they stepped inside. 

They stepped into a narrow hallway and looking ahead, Harry could see the courtyard they’d seen earlier, filled with plants, overgrown vines and trees, and statues in various states of disarray. Zayn looked left and right to orient himself while Gemma and Louis took everything in.

“Oh,” Gemma sighed. “Louis, look.” She pointed at the walls. “Vishnu.”

The walls were covered in reliefs of the Hindu god and Gemma grinned to herself. Louis’s eyes trailed across the walls and Harry saw the familiar look of fondness and curiosity he’d had when they’d discovered Babylon. 

“We could spend hours here, Gemma,” Louis said, awe filling his voice. Harry slid his fingers around Louis’s wrist. 

“Unfortunately, we don’t have hours,” Zayn said. He jerked his head behind him. “We need to go this way.” 

They followed him around the square of the courtyard. It was silent and quiet and there was the occasional drip of water from the roof. They passed another courtyard, several rooms leading off the main hall, and Zayn finally led them around another corner to an even bigger open area. 

There, in the center, stood a pillar. A small statue of a man was sitting on top of the pillar, bright blue against the greenery of the courtyard. It had four arms, each one holding something different: a lotus blossom, a conch shell, a mace, and a discus. The light flickered through the thick jungle canopy above them, and Zayn stepped off the stone floor of the temple into the courtyard. 

“Is that it?” Gemma whispered. 

“Yes,” Zayn breathed and inched his way towards the statue.

His footsteps were padded by the thick growth on the ground, but Harry still reminded himself to let out long breaths, keeping an eye on the other tunnels and rooms from his vantage point. Aside from their own breathing, and the occasional drip of water, the whole place was silent. 

Zayn carefully pulled the statue off the pillar. It was just bigger than one of his hands and Harry watched him wrap it in cloth and put it in his bag. They all took a breath and Harry half expected arrows to come flying at them out of nowhere. 

But all was quiet. Zayn darted back into the hall with them, and they sighed collectively. 

“I feel like we’re about to get chastised by mother for stealing cookies,” Gemma said. 

“I was afraid of a bit more than mother’s chastising,” Harry muttered. 

“You must not remember how frightening mum was,” Gemma countered. 

“No, but I do remember it was mostly you who stole the cookies, not me,” Harry whispered back. 

“Shall we go on then?” Louis said, looking between them perplexed and amused. Harry and Gemma giggled and they followed Zayn back through the temple. 

They were startled by a bird letting out a call and causing a tree in one of the inner courtyards to shake. Harry felt his heartbeat ratchet up in speed and Louis slid his hand into Harry’s, giving him a calming squeeze. 

They had almost made it back to the front hall when Louis whispered, “Harry, Zayn, Gems, look at this.” He beckoned them back to him. He was paused in front of a doorway and they joined him there.

Inside was a small room. There was a simple chair, some rope, and one of the sources of dripping water by a small window. Otherwise, it was empty. Louis took a step inside. 

Harry reached out and grabbed his wrist but Louis just slid their hands together and gave him a squeeze. “It’s alright.” 

Harry watched with bated breath as Louis picked up the rope, feeling along it. Louis hummed to himself. 

“What is it?” Gemma asked. 

“This rope was in a knot for a long time,” Louis said, showing them a segment of rope. “Like it had held something. Someone took the time to untie it.” 

“Is that significant?” Zayn asked. 

Louis shrugged. “I don’t know yet.” He walked back out of the room. “We should get out of here.” 

Zayn nodded and led the way, Harry trailing behind to let Gemma and Louis go in front of him. They slipped out the front entrance, and dashed across the moat, the only sounds their footsteps on stone. Harry didn’t relax until they were back in the cover of the trees, and back in Niall and Liam’s company. 

Liam was sitting by the same tree Zayn had left him at, playing some sort of word game with Eliza. Niall was writing in his journal, pasting pieces of plants into it. 

“You weren’t gone very long,” Liam said as they approached, relieved smiles on his and Niall’s faces. “Did you find it?” 

Zayn walked over to him and sat at Liam’s feet, crossing his legs and opening his bag. He pulled the statue out, unwrapping it so they could get a better look at it. They all crowded around Liam and Zayn and the statue. 

“May I see it?” Louis asked and Zayn passed it to him. Louis held it reverently, turning it gently and examining it from all angles. Harry rested his chin on Louis’s shoulder, watching him hold the statue and Eliza stood on her tiptoes to peek into Louis’s hands. “It’s beautiful. I don’t know what it symbolizes, but I can recognize that it’s Vishnu.” 

He passed the statue to Gemma’s outstretched hands and she ran her hands over it. “It’s so well made,” she remarked, handing it back to Zayn. “Are statues like that common?” 

Zayn shrugged. “Depends on what kind of family you’re from.” 

“I’m glad you’re back alright,” Niall said. “Did you run into any trouble?” 

Harry shook his head. “Nothing.” 

“Although I did find something…” Louis started but then trailed off. Niall looked at him expectantly. 

“We found…” Louis said, pausing again, “we found a room. It was bare except for a chair and rope.” He gave Niall a meaningful look. Niall frowned. 

“Do you think…” Niall tapped his chin. Harry could see an idea forming between Niall and Louis.

“Think what?” Zayn asked, looking between them curiously. 

“Well,” Louis shrugged, “it’ll depend on what your men tell us.” 

“Why?” 

“Because they might have been holding your father in the temple all along.”

Zayn paled and blinked quickly. “What?”

“Is it out of the realm of possibility that they kept your father and the idol in the same place?” Louis asked.

“No… I suppose not,” Zayn said hesitantly as if the wheels in his mind were whirring quickly. 

“But why would they keep Zayn’s father at Angkor Wat?” Gemma asked. “We were just there and it was abandoned. We were the only ones around.” 

Louis looked between Gemma and Harry. “I’m not so sure we were,” Louis said, glancing behind him at the temples resting in the valley.  Harry swallowed. 

“What are you talking about, Lou?” Harry asked. Louis frowned, clearly thinking hard.

“Zayn, how did you find out your father supposedly stole this statue?” Louis asked. 

Zayn frowned. “One of my men. He’d been with my father and had been sent to take a note to me when my father was captured, explaining that the idol was stolen by my father and that I needed to pay a ransom to get him back. The rest of his men were… well, I assumed they were killed or imprisoned or something.” 

“Was this man someone you trusted?” Louis pressed. 

Zayn swallowed, reluctant dread filling his face. “I hadn’t met him before. He had my father’s sigel, though and knew his code.” 

“So he was with your father  _ at some point _ ?” The way Louis asked tipped Harry off as to where he was going. He could have found out Lord Malik’s sigel and code through other means. There were many ways to coerce a man. 

“Louis, are you saying Zayn was set up?” Harry asked. 

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Maybe the end goal here wasn’t to get money,” Louis said. “Maybe the end goal was to get Zayn.” 

The group all looked at Zayn, who breathed out deeply, his hands shaking. 

“But why would they be after you?” Niall asked him. “You’re not even close with your father.” 

“No, but…” He paused as if weighing his words. “I do the same job,” Zayn said slowly, rubbing his forehead. “If anyone from the government knows about my father and I, our thieving and our helping the poor, they’d see us as threats to the government’s rule.” Harry caught Liam’s pointed glance at Zayn but couldn’t interpret it. Zayn just shook his head once.

“So they want to get you both at the same time,” Niall said. “And hire a group of inconspicuous rebels to do their dirty work?”

“Which is perhaps why you were told about the idol here,” Louis says. “To lure you to the same place as your father.”

“You mean…” Liam glanced nervously around them. “You mean, like a trap?” 

A nervous Liam was not something Harry was accustomed to seeing. Liam’s uncertainty made Harry wonder if they were safe where they were at all.

Suddenly, the woods seemed to press in around them. Eliza, who had been quiet, must have sensed the shift in the adults and pressed closer to Harry and Louis. Niall took a step closer to Gemma. 

“But we were alone,” Zayn whispered, his voice sounding tight and strained. “We didn’t even hear anything aside from the birds and the wind. No one's been around Angkor Wat for years.

“The temple is a large complex,” Louis said. “You may have been right about them moving your father, but it might not have been far. They may have just been further in the temples behind Angkor.” 

“How could they have missed you?” Liam asked. “If they’ve been watching for Zayn to try and get him, they would have seen the four of you cross the moat.” 

Louis frowned. “I don’t know, Liam. Unless they have a different plan or a more complicated one that I can’t figure out.” 

“Why put so much effort into a complicated plan when we could have just walked in and out of a trap of their's less than twenty minutes ago?” Gemma asked. 

“I’m not sure,” Louis said, waving his hands gently to calm everyone down. “But regardless, we should get away from the temples. We need to meet up with Zayn’s men and Liam needs a chance to rest somewhere safer than here. Perhaps your men will have more intel and we can come up with a few backup plans.” 

Harry glanced around them, at their donkeys calmly grazing, and Garnet munching on a bone. Eliza was clutching his leg and her little hand was holding Louis’s. Niall was standing closer than necessary to Gemma and she was bouncing on the balls of her feet as if she was ready to fight if anything jumped out of the trees. 

“Are you alright to move, Liam?” Harry asked softly. 

“To get away from here? Definitely.” 

Liam tapped Zayn on the ankle, and Zayn stood, pulling Liam up with him, and supporting him around his waist. They began the slow walk to the donkeys and Niall and Gemma began pulling up the donkeys’ lines. Eliza stayed close to Harry and Louis turned to face him. 

“When did you figure all that out?” Harry asked him. 

Louis’s frowned was intensifying. “I was worried about whether or not we were alone as we were walking across the moat. It wasn’t until I saw the room that I thought maybe something else was going on. It all just seemed… odd.”

“It was too easy,” Harry agreed. 

“Exactly,” Louis agreed. “Why would they go to the trouble of leaving the idol they’re accusing Zayn’s father of stealing in plain sight? And further than that, why go to such lengths to capture two men who are actually doing good?” 

“Governments hate men like Zayn and his father?” Harry sighed. “Or Zayn is hiding something he hasn’t told us yet.”

“If Zayn has been doing this for a while, I wouldn’t be surprised if the current government sees him as an outlaw, which could be something to hide,” Louis said quietly. “It puts a target on his back… and on ours.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “Liam knows something, Lou.” 

Louis’s eyebrows went up to his hairline. “What?” 

“I overheard them just before we left to visit the temple. Zayn told Liam something in exchange for saving his life.”

Harry and Louis shared a look. Harry didn’t really understand what was going on but he trusted Louis. If Zayn was being lured in, and someone was after him, then Zayn and the rest of them were in serious danger. He looked down at Eliza. She was watching Zayn and Liam and Harry followed her gaze. 

Liam was whispering furiously to Zayn and Zayn was nodding, rubbing his forehead and looking worried. Liam reached his good arm out to Zayn’s shoulder and gave him a squeeze. Liam seemed to have decided on his gut feeling about Zayn: friend. And if Harry knew anything he knew he had to trust Liam’s instinct.

Harry knew one other thing at least: if Zayn did have a target on his back, he wanted to help him. Zayn had saved Liam’s life. They were all in his debt. 


	4. Chapter 4

Niall took a sip of his tea, willing his hands to stop shaking. Next to him, Gemma was writing furiously in her journal, her pen dashing across the page. Louis and Harry stood a few paces away, whispering together while Eliza doodled in her sketchbook at their feet, and across the fire from Niall, Liam sat propped up on Niall and Louis’s packs, listening with a frown on his face while Zayn talked to him. 

The three days’ journey away from the temple had been tense, to say the least. Niall couldn’t help but glance behind him every few steps and he’d noticed Harry had taken to letting one of his knives rest in his hands, twiddling it between his fingers as they walked. Eliza had hardly let Harry out of her sight. Niall didn’t blame her. 

It was one thing to be surprised by a trap, like when they’d been on board the Wandering Rose last year and been caught by the Wanted Thieves. 

It was another thing entirely to know Niall’s dearest friends had walked in and out of a potential trap like it was just an afternoon stroll through Kensington Gardens. To know that they could have been kidnapped and had somehow, by some miracle, been missed. 

Niall glanced sideways at Gemma. A strand of hair had fallen in her face and she tucked it behind her ear absently, a few recalcitrant strands falling back into her face. She huffed out a sigh, breaking her gaze from her journal and frowning blankly across the fire. 

“What’s with the face, Gemma?” Liam asked, taking a sip of his own tea. Zayn was sitting next to him, his legs crossed in such a fashion that his knee ran into Liam’s outstretched thigh. 

Gemma shrugged. “I can’t seem to focus.” 

Liam nodded. No one needed to guess why. 

“We should run into my men any day now,” Zayn said calmly. “We’ll be safer with them.” 

“You trust them?” Gemma asked, sounding a bit skeptical. 

“I grew up with most of them,” Zayn said easily. “They wouldn’t abandon me.” 

“How do you know?” Her voice was slightly tense, like when she had a problem in front of her that she couldn’t solve. 

Zayn was quiet a moment. Liam cleared his throat and took another sip of his tea. 

“I know,” Zayn said with finality. 

Niall glanced into his tin mug, swishing his tea in circles. He’d added a few leaves from a citrus tree he’d come across in Angkor Wat’s valley. It added some nice notes to the tea. He vaguely wondered if he’d be able to collect more if they ever went back. 

They had to go back if Zayn’s father was there. Louis seemed certain that whoever had Zayn’s father was ultimately after Zayn. Zayn just hadn’t told them why anyone was after him yet. Not definitively anyways. 

Louis, Harry, and Eliza joined them by the fire. It was evening and the tent was up, but the group sat in much the same way as they had the previous few nights: closely gathered around the fire, teacups in hand, and Eliza counting everyone to make sure no one had been lost during the day before settling into Harry’s lap. 

Niall set his teacup down and began passing out dinner. They ate in thoughtful silence and Niall frowned. There were too many frowns on the faces of his friends. He thought for a moment, trying to think of something that could brighten them up.

“I thought you’d be a bit cheered, Lou,” Niall said, a small grin coming onto his face. “I heard you complaining about missing black tea a few weeks ago.” 

Louis let out a chuckle, seemingly surprised at his own laughter. “You’re right,” he said. “I did miss it. The day doesn’t seem right without a nice cuppa.” 

“Or tea cakes,” Gemma added, a smile tinging the edges of her mouth. 

“Or Cook’s famous scones,” Liam said longingly. 

“I haven’t had a scone since I was a boy,” Zayn said with a longing equal to Liam’s. 

“You should return to England then,” Harry said, putting down his empty dinner dish. “You could stay with us and eat your weight in Cook’s scones.”

“That would be…” Zayn sighed, “perfect.” 

“Why haven’t you been back?” Niall asked, seeing an opportunity to broaden the conversation. “You’re a grown man, you could have come whenever you’d like.” 

Zayn shrugged. “Been stuck here, I suppose. Odd the things that keep us, even if we don’t want to be kept by them.”

Niall watched Liam rest a finger on Zayn’s knee just for a moment as he deposited his dinner dish on top of Harry’s. 

“Regardless, you’re welcome anytime,” Harry said. “Eliza can show you around London.” Eliza’s eyes went wide in excitement and she turned to Zayn. 

“Do you like history, Mister Zayn?” She asked eagerly, clasping her hands in front of her. 

Zayn outright laughed, warm and kind and Niall found himself laughing too, Gemma chuckling next to him. Zayn leaned into Eliza to whisper loudly in her ear. 

“Why do you think I’ve been with this lot for the past few weeks?” Zayn asked conspiratorially, glancing comically between the rest of the group. “It’s not for how Liam snores at night, I’ll tell you that.” 

Eliza giggled in glee and Liam smacked Zayn on the back good-naturedly, then grunted, wincing at the pain in his side. 

“Alright, Li?” Niall asked, frowning as Liam settled back against the packs, clutching at the wound under his arm. 

Liam didn’t respond and Niall and Zayn exchanged a look before both moving. Niall reached into his bag, pulling out the jar of poultice he’d prepared and passed it to Zayn, who kneeled next to Liam. 

“Let me see, Liam,” Zayn said, uncapping the jar. Liam pouted, sighing dejectedly and looking so forlorn Niall wanted to hug him. 

Niall walked over and kneeled on Liam’s other side, helping him slide his arm through his shirt, exposing the bandage Zayn had replaced every day. Liam grunted again and Zayn carefully unwrapped the bandage, examined it, and dabbed a bit of Niall’s poultice on it, before wrapping the bandage back up again. 

Niall helped Liam back into his shirt. Gemma stood and walked into the tent, Harry, Louis, and Eliza just behind her. Liam rubbed his face with his good arm. 

“How long till these heal?” He asked lowly, looking up at Zayn. 

Zayn rested a hand on Liam’s good shoulder. “Soon. The more you rest, the better they’ll be.” 

Niall sat back on his heels. “You know Liam, perhaps when Zayn’s men find us, we can figure out something so that you can rest for a few days.” 

Zayn hummed in agreement.

Liam looked at Niall warily. “What do you mean?” 

Niall glanced at Zayn, who nodded encouragingly. “It would do you good to rest. The next step seems to be confirming where Zayn’s father is and we’ll do that best if we split up.” 

“Niall’s right,” Zayn said. “You could stay behind to rest while the rest of us eliminate places my father could be.” 

“By myself?” Liam asked, sounding more dejected than Niall had ever heard him. 

Niall grinned. “We wouldn’t leave you alone. I’ll stay with you and the donkeys and Garnet. The gang can meet us once they’ve found what they’re looking for.” 

“At the very least it gives you a few days to heal up a bit,” Zayn said, this time looking almost hopeful that Liam would listen. 

Liam glanced between Niall and Zayn skeptically before sighing. 

“Alright, fine,” he said. “If you think it’ll help,” he said to Zayn. 

Zayn grinned. “I really do.” 

Liam nodded and held out his hands to Zayn. “Fine. Help me to bed, please.” 

Zayn stood and helped Liam stand, and Niall followed them as they shuffled to the tent. Niall tried not to grin too obviously at the pink tinge to Zayn’s cheeks. 

It was a tight fit in the tent, but they fit. Louis was sound asleep at the far end of the tent, snoring lightly. Harry was next to him, putting away a book. Eliza slept, curled as close into his chest as she could. Gemma was just putting her journal away when Niall came to sit between her and Liam, leaving Zayn nearest the entrance to the tent. 

Niall laid down on his back, resting his hands on his chest and gazing up at the canvas ceiling. After getting Liam comfortable, Zayn put out the lamp and Niall blinked in the sudden darkness. He felt Gemma rustle a bit next to him, heard Harry sigh and Eliza hum and within seconds Liam’s snores joined Louis’s. Niall smiled to himself. 

Even if they had been near a trap, even if he’d almost lost his friends, he was grateful they were all here. Safe, together, and, for the most part, in one piece. He fell asleep to Gemma humming along to Eliza, a lullaby that lulled him to sleep. 

Niall woke the next morning to the tent flap rustling and Zayn’s voice talking quickly in a local dialect. Liam was struggling to hoist himself up with one arm and Niall rose from bed, reaching out to help Liam sit up. Gemma knocked him in the shoulder with her elbow as she worked a braid into her hair. 

Niall clutched his shoulder and pretended to fall over. 

“Help, I’ve been wounded,” he cried. Eliza giggled and Gemma reached out a hand and shoved him in the shoulder.

“Careful, Niall,” Harry said from where he was helping Eliza into her boots. “You know she could actually hurt you, right?” 

Niall sat up, grinning at Gemma, who smirked to herself. 

“A good thing too,” Niall said. “Means everyone else who comes after us is bound to get beat.” 

Gemma glanced over at him, her cheeks turning a pretty pink. Niall’s smile widened and he let his eyes trace her cheekbones and eyelashes for a moment. She finished her hair and let her arms rest in her lap with a sigh. 

Eliza toddled over and sat in front of Gemma, leaving Harry and Louis. Niall smirked. They were sitting close enough for their legs to touch, Harry’s shoulder leaning into Louis’s. 

“Auntie Gems,” Eliza asked, “will you do my hair too?”

Gemma smiled down at her niece. “Of course. Turn around, alright?” 

Niall smiled to himself as Eliza turned and sat cross-legged in front of Gemma. He watched Gemma’s hands work in Eliza’s hair, gently tugging out the tangles. Gemma had dirt under her nails, but her fingers still looked elegant, long and slim and gentle even, despite Niall’s certainty that she could kill someone with her bare hands if she wanted to. She bit her tongue between her lips concentrating. 

“It’s always harder to do someone else’s hair,” she muttered to Niall. 

“I wouldn’t have known,” he whispered back, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t do much with mine.” 

Gemma chuckled and Niall grinned. He found he liked making her laugh. Or smile. He wasn’t picky. Better than the look on her face when he’d walked away after she’d told him about her lost children. 

He still hadn’t figured out what to think about that and occasionally the look on her face would come into his mind. The way her hand had felt under his lips was a sensation he couldn’t get rid of even if he wanted to. He just had no idea how to start the conversation again, how to bridge to the topic of his mother and his guilt. 

He had no idea what to do with the occasional pondering of what the rest of her skin would feel like under his lips. But that was a different thing. 

Harry and Louis walked past them, pulling Niall out of this thoughts. 

“Have you all been awake long?” Niall asked, rubbing his eyes.  

Liam chuckled next to him. “No. Zayn was awake getting water when his men arrived.” Liam scratched at his side with his good arm, wincing just a bit as he grazed his wound. 

“I hope they have information for us,” Gemma said, her hands flying through Eliza’s long hair. “Anything that’ll say we didn’t walk in and out of a trap yesterday.” 

She patted Eliza’s shoulder to let her know she was done and Eliza dashed out of the tent after Harry and Louis with a happy giggle. 

“Shall we help you out, Liam?” Niall asked, grinning cause he already knew the answer. 

“You think I want to stay in the tent all day?” Liam teased back. 

Niall stood and helped Liam come up onto his knees, slowly stepping up to stand. Liam took a few deep breaths. His face was pale but not nearly as pale as he’d been. He smiled, letting out a huff. 

“You’re getting better,” Gemma said, coming to Liam’s other side. 

“I just want to be back to myself,” Liam said. 

“Zayn seems positive about your progress,” Niall said as they shuffled out of the tent. “He should know… he’s a doctor.” 

They emerged out of the tent to find Harry, Louis, and Eliza starting a fire while Zayn stood listening to his men. They gestured wildly and Zayn frowned as he listened, chewing on his lip, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He nodded occasionally, grunted in response, and with a final nod, his men walked off to where their horses rested. Zayn returned to the group just as Niall and Gemma had Liam situated as comfortably as possible.

“Any news?” Gemma asked as Zayn took the plate Niall passed him. 

Zayn hesitated for a moment, frowning in thought. “My father isn’t at the other locations we thought he could be. There are two things left to try, but…” He trailed off, glancing over at Louis reluctantly. 

“But you think Louis’s right?” Liam asked. Zayn nodded hesitantly. Liam let his fingers rest on Zayn’s knee. 

“Why, Zayn?” Liam asked, and Niall saw the pointed look in his eyes. Niall wasn’t sure when he’d missed it, but Zayn seemed to trust Liam the most out of all of them. Liam had somehow found Zayn a friend beyond the man who had saved his life.

Zayn locked eyes with Liam, something unspoken was exchanged between them and he swallowed hard. “If it is a trap, it’s not because of what my father and I do. It’s because I had an affair with the Prince and was exiled… except I never left the country.” 

Louis blinked, and Harry’s jaw dropped. Niall raised his eyebrows and Gemma sent him an excited grin. That proved at least one side of his theory on Liam’s new feelings for Zayn. 

“That’s what you told Liam,” Harry stated, picking his jaw off the ground. “After he saved your life.”

Liam rolled his eyes fondly at Harry. “You’re such a busybody, Harry,” Liam sighed, resignedly, but good-naturedly. Harry turned pink but shrugged. 

“I was curious… I overheard you two talking and after Angkor Wat, I figured there was something bigger than Zayn playing Robin Hood...” Harry said, trailing off under Liam’s satisfied smirk.

“Always trying to find the truth,” Liam said. Niall thought vaguely that that was the exact reason Harry and Louis seemed to be a good team: their quiet and instructive curiosity.

“Well, it has saved your life a few times,” Harry countered with a grin. 

Niall almost laughed out loud at Harry’s statement and Gemma rolled her eyes at her brother. 

“Except for this time, apparently,” Louis cut in, giving everyone a pointed look clearly telling them to focus, “when Zayn did the saving. Can we get back to the topic at hand, please?” He gestured for Zayn to continue. “You were exiled, Zayn? For having an affair?”

“I was training to be a doctor at the palace when I met the Prince,” Zayn said with a shrug. “His father found out and banished me.” 

“Why didn’t you go home to England?” Harry asked. 

“I can be rather stubborn when I want to be,” Zayn said with a smirk, his eyes alight with the same mirth as when they had first met him. “I didn’t want to leave on someone else’s orders. I went to my father, told him the Prince and I had a falling out and that I’d been exiled.”

“You didn’t tell him you had an affair?” Louis asked. 

“No. But my father thought that if I could help the people, whenever the government changed, I’d be pardoned.” Zayn scoffed, running an absent-minded hand through his hair. “But if my father’s been kidnapped, if they are trying to get me, it’s not because of anything my father did.” 

“Did the Prince…” Gemma started hesitantly, “Was he angry with you?” 

Zayn nodded once. “He wanted me dead. His father decided to exile me instead.”

This time Louis’s jaw dropped and Harry frowned. 

“So if it is a trap…” Harry started. 

“We still don’t know for sure that it is a trap,” Gemma said calmly. “We need to narrow down every option before we start jumping into a plan. I doubt we could waltz into Angkor Wat again to look for your father anyways.”

“The temples at Angkor Wat are varied and there’s several of them,” Zayn said. “My father could be kept in any one of them but we’d be sitting ducks if we walked in expecting to search the place with no confrontation.” 

“Which means we’d have to be sure,” Louis said. “We have to be sure they’re after you instead of your father. We have to be sure your father is there, as sure as can be. And we have to have a good plan.”

“Yes,” Zayn agreed. 

“How can we be sure?” Harry asked. 

“Well, there’s the original location my father was kidnapped from,” Zayn started. “I haven’t searched there since it didn’t seem like a viable spot, but it’s an option. There’s also a group of my men who haven’t returned yet and I want to meet them to get their information.” 

“Basically we need to keep narrowing down our options,” Louis said. They were silent for a moment and Niall let his mind whir through ideas.

“We talked about splitting up yesterday,” Niall said, “so Liam can get some rest. That would save us a bit of time and get us information a bit faster.” 

“That’s true,” Liam said begrudgingly. “Niall volunteered to stay with me.” 

“Which leaves the rest of you to split up and do some searching,” Niall said. He gestured to Louis. “You and Harry could go find the place Zayn’s father was kidnapped from,” Niall said. “You’ll cover more ground if it’s just the two of you and Eliza.”

Harry and Louis nodded in unison. Niall didn’t miss Louis’s glance at Harry, curious and searching. 

_ They better get their act together soon _ , Niall thought to himself.

“Zayn, I can go with you and your men,” Gemma said. 

“Wait, why?” Harry asked, and Niall almost scoffed at Harry’s protectiveness. He ignored the twinge in his heart at the idea of being away from Gemma. When had he become so attached? 

Gemma leveled Harry with an unamused look. “Because you and Louis will have Eliza, Niall and Liam will be here, and I want to be useful. I can help Zayn and maybe learn some of the local languages while I’m at it.” 

“Ah, your ulterior motive comes out,” Liam teased her. She stuck her tongue out at him. 

“Didn’t you say just this morning that Gems could probably kill any of us, Harry?” Niall asked, earning him a grin from Gemma. It was worth it to see her smile, even if he was sure he wouldn’t enjoy seeing her go.

“I think Niall’s plan is a good one,” Louis said. “Let’s say we meet back here in a week’s time?” 

Zayn nodded. “That should be fine. If we leave now, we can get a head start.” 

The group nodded in agreement. Louis and Harry jumped up, Eliza following close behind them as they loaded up one of the donkeys. Zayn helped Liam to his feet and they hobbled back into the tent to make Liam comfortable and make sure he knew how to do his bandages. 

Niall turned to Gemma. “Do you want one of my explosive bullets? Just in case?” 

Gemma smiled. “I wouldn’t say no. You never know what you’ll need on a journey like this one. Hopefully, we’re not gone too long. I trust your judgment, but Zayn’s knowledge surpasses our own when it comes to the human body."

Niall nodded in agreement, suddenly finding words harder to get out of his head at the realization that he would be apart from Gemma and Louis, Eliza and Harry for several days. He hadn’t spent much time without them the entire journey. There was a tinge in his chest and he watched Gemma smile at one of Eliza’s antics, trying to commit it to memory. 

“Stay safe,” he said quietly. She turned to look at him, her gaze kind and tender. It made him smile back, and everything in him wanted to reach out and take her hand in his, kiss her palm again, tell her he couldn’t wait to have her back.

“You as well,” she replied with a sigh. “I’ve rather enjoyed your company.” She smiled softly and tentatively rested one of her fingers on his wrist. “I’ll miss someone listening to my curiosity as much as you.” 

“I like listening to you,” Niall said.  _ Your curiosity is beautiful _ , he wanted to add.

A soft tendril of her hair fell into her face and she brushed it away with her fingers, as gentle as they were deadly. Niall grinned. 

“Give them hell,” he nodded in the direction of Zayn’s men, ”if they give you any trouble.”

Gemma smirked and nodded. Zayn and Liam came out of the tent. Zayn helped Liam sit, his hands lingering on Liam’s waist. Liam leaned up, whispered something in Zayn’s ear that brought a knowing smile to his face. Zayn nodded and gave Liam’s hand a squeeze before addressing Gemma. 

“Do you need any help with your things?” He asked. Niall noticed how Liam’s hand lingered on Zayn’s calf, just for a moment before dropping into his lap. 

She stood and shook her head. “I just have my pack.” 

“I’ll meet you at the horses then,” Zayn said with a grin. He bid Liam one last look and walked away. 

Niall glanced at Gemma. Gemma was already smirking at him knowingly. They turned to look at Liam in unison, who purposefully ignored them. 

“Do you suppose you can make more of that tea, Niall?” Liam asked in an attempt at diverting the conversation. 

Niall just shook his head, Gemma chuckling beside him. 

“We’ll see you in a few days,” Gemma said. “Please rest, Liam. No saving the world, alright?” 

“Just for this week,” Liam promised. Gemma smiled and looked up at Niall. 

“See you,” she said, her brown eyes telling him things he desperately wanted to understand. 

“See you,” Niall replied. She nodded and turned, walking over to Zayn, who held her horse while she mounted it. Niall watched her for a moment longer before turning to Louis, who had just walked up to him and Liam. 

“Can Harry and I have some of those mint leaves Eliza likes so much?” Louis asked with a bashful grin. 

Niall grinned back and fished out a small package from his bag. “Don’t use them all at once,” he said, giving his friend a hug. “And just tell Harry the truth, will you?” 

Louis pulled away, cheeks pink, but nodded. “That’s the plan.” 

Liam scoffed. “About time.” 

Louis softly kicked the sole of Liam’s good foot. “Heal up, alright?” 

Liam nodded. “Not planning on getting any worse.” 

“Good,” Harry said, coming to stand beside Louis. “We should head out. Eliza’s already on the donkey, ready to go.” 

“Best of luck,” Liam said. Niall sat back down next to him and watched their friends walk into the jungle. 

Harry and Eliza were laughing at something Louis said, Eliza’s bright laugh ringing out a few seconds after they’d already disappeared down the makeshift path. Gemma trotted her horse next to Zayn’s, glancing back once. Niall smiled encouragingly and she waved farewell before riding into the trees, framed in golden tinted green.

He watched her go until he could no longer see her, not caring at the curious gaze Liam kept sending his way. Now that she was gone, Niall felt himself a bit empty at her absence.   

“I must say this,” Liam said, “as her friend.” He turned to look at Niall, his face serious, but a twinkle in his eye. “Hurt her and I’ll kill you.” Liam raised his eyebrows knowingly at Niall.

Niall let out a sighing laugh, looking down at his hands in lap. “I’d have to become important to her first.” 

“You are,” Liam said. “I’ve known Gemma my whole life, Niall. You are special to her, even if she doesn’t know it herself yet. I don’t think she’s ever figured out that she actually loved Eddie romantically, even though she knew she was fond of him. But you…” Liam paused, nodding to himself. “She’s different with you. She cares about you. Once she gets her head out of old temples and new languages, she’ll see that.” 

“I care about her,” Niall said quietly, picking at one of his fingernails. Liam hummed in response, closing his eyes.

The sounds of Zayn’s men had faded and now he could only hear the soft trickle of water in the distance and the calls of birds higher up in the trees. The fire crackled next to them and Niall sighed. For the first time in several months, he felt like he could relax for a moment. 

“You know Zayn cares for you too,” Niall said softly, the birds singing slowly becoming a cacophony of sound around them. 

“Only because he saved my life,” Liam muttered. “He feels responsible.”

Niall paused, glancing at his friend. Liam’s eyes were still closed, and his breathing was quickly becoming deeper. 

“If you say so,” Niall said. He stood, leaving Liam to nap. 

Niall passed the afternoon by taking clippings of various plants, doing drawings of flowers, and writing down what he could remember of Zayn telling him about the properties of each plant. Garnet followed at his feet, sniffing at smells that interested her and whining whenever Niall cut apart a piece of fruit for a snack. He made dinner and gently woke Liam, who rubbed his eyes and ate in silence. 

“You know,” Liam said after finishing dinner and allowing Niall to help him to the tent, “Zayn might have been right about rest.” Niall grinned to himself and left Liam to sleep, sitting by the fire and watching it burn down, before returning to the tent, lying down with Garnet at his feet. 

The days continued in the same manner, Liam resting, Niall studying and writing, occasionally reading, Garnet wondering about and lounging with one or both of them. They talked about past adventures, their school days, they wondered aloud if Harry and Louis had finally admitted their feelings for one another. Niall found he almost felt at ease again, relaxed. He filled up a whole notebook and was contemplating the possibility of bringing back some specimens to England.

He was reminded of the impossibility of that idea when, six days later, just as they were finishing breakfast, he and Liam heard the sounds of a group making their way through the jungle. The pale green of a misty morning slowly parted to reveal Zayn riding into their clearing, Gemma just behind him. 

“Have Harry and Louis returned?” Zayn said in lieu of a greeting, swinging off his horse. Gemma also dismounted her horse, leaving his reins loose on his neck. They were both out of breath, their horses heaving and sweaty.

“Hello to you too,” Niall said wryly. “Did you gallop your horses all the way here?”

“Sorry,” Zayn said bashfully. “We have news. We have to find Harry and Louis.” 

“They haven’t returned yet,” Liam replied, as Niall stood. “What did you find out?” 

Gemma and Zayn exchanged a glance. 

“Louis was right,” Gemma said breathlessly. “The Prince is after Zayn.” 

Niall felt his shoulders sag. “How did you find out?” 

“He sent one of his men to find me,” Zayn replied. He knelt next to Liam. “May I check your wounds?” Liam nodded, shrugging off his shirt. The week of rest had done him good. His wounds had mostly closed up, and he was in much less pain. Zayn’s hands shook as he started to undo some of the bandaging.

“Just one man to tell you the Prince wants you dead?” Liam asked with a smirk, which turned into a wince as Zayn’s fingers prodded at the wound in his hip. Liam’s hip had been giving him the most discomfort.

Zayn nodded, looking satisfied at Liam’s wounds. Niall suspected Zayn was using Liam’s wounds as an excuse to touch him. His hands were becoming less shaky.

“Aw, Gems, you killed the man, did you?” Liam said with a forced chuckle as Zayn finished wrapping up the bandage on Liam’s hip wound. Liam’s hand came to Zayn’s forearm and his fingers squeezed once. Zayn let his hand stay on Liam’s waist.

“No,” Gemma replied indignantly, “I just temporarily incapacitated him.” She came to stand nearer to Niall, and Niall couldn’t help himself. He reached out an arm and hugged her to his side, relishing the smell of her hair, the feel of her shoulder beneath his hand, the way she leaned back into his side. 

“What did he say?” Niall asked, reluctantly letting his arm fall from Gemma’s shoulders. He was pleased to find that she stayed close, her shoulder brushing his.  

Zayn was silent for a moment. 

“He said the Prince would hold on to my father until he saw me dead. That he wouldn’t stop until I was gone from the Earth.” 

Liam’s fingers dug into Zayn’s forearm again. Gemma’s fingers came to rest loosely around Niall’s wrist. 

“Do we know how far out Harry and Louis are?” She asked quietly. 

“A few days probably,” Niall replied. “We should pack up and head in their direction. We can meet them on the trail.” 

Gemma nodded and Niall followed her towards the tent. Just before they ducked inside, he saw Liam and Zayn talking. They were still touching each other, and Niall thought, just before the tent flap swung closed, he saw Zayn kiss Liam’s hand.

——-

“And that’s how the princess of the North and the Queen of the west fell in love,” Harry finished, brushing hair out of Eliza’s eyes. She was sound asleep, breathing deeply. It had been easy to get her to fall asleep, and Harry was almost certain he knew the reason why.

They’d spent four days traveling to the spot Zayn directed but had found nothing. Yet every night, Eliza fell asleep between Louis and Harry and Harry had never seen his daughter sleep as soundly. He’d woken up the first morning of their journey back to Niall and Liam’s campground to Eliza curled into Louis’s chest. He’d watched them just for a moment, their peaceful sleep easing him into the day.

But tonight was their last night before meeting up with their friends again and Harry could feel something in the air. He had to talk to Louis soon. They’d been dancing around each other for months and Harry realized that, more than anything, he wanted to know where he and Louis stood. If they stood together. He wanted to be sure that Louis cared for him as Harry cared for Louis. 

So much of him was sure it was an impossible dream and he still hadn’t figured out a way to make a potential love between them work. But he wanted to talk to Louis before he made any decisions. Louis always had good answers. 

He exited the tent, rubbing his eyes but smiling at Louis, who grinned at Harry from his seat by the fire. Louis had been quiet and on edge all night. Harry thought maybe he knew why, but he didn’t want to presume. 

He sat down next to Louis, close enough that their thighs brushed, and slotted their shoulders together. The feeling of Louis beside him was so comforting and they sat in silence for several moments.

“Eliza fall asleep alright?” Louis finally asked, his voice wavering slightly. He played with his hands in his lap.

“Hopefully so,” Harry said. “She’s been sleeping better with both of us in the tent, I think.” 

“I’m glad my snoring doesn’t keep her awake,” Louis said with a small smile.

“In a funny way, I think it helps her sleep,” Harry said. “She’s very fond of you.”  _ Should I tell him that she wants him as her other parent? _

“I’m fond of her,” Louis said. He swallowed, and Harry watched him pause, staring into the fire thinking for a moment. 

“I’m fond of her father too,” Louis said quietly with a glance at Harry.  

The night seemed to freeze around him and everything became brighter and richer in color. Harry’s heart beat quickly. “Oh?” 

Louis looked back at the fire. “I’ve grown very fond of you, Harry. You somehow make me brave and…” he paused, leaving Harry time for his heart to do a series of backflips, landing in his stomach with a flourish, “and I want to be near you. As much as I can.”

Harry couldn’t take his eyes off Louis. Louis turned to look at him and Harry found that he never wanted to look away. He wanted to see Louis’s face every day of the rest of his life. Louis blushed and Harry leaned forward, his face close to Louis’s. 

“I’ve never met anyone I’ve wanted to know more than you, Lou,” Harry began. “I’m rather attached to having you near me, with Eliza. I want you near me all the time.” He paused, feeling his uncertainties weighing heavy on his heart. “But the world is unkind to men who want other men the ways I want you. I don’t know…"

There was a high pitched moan and a small shriek from the tent behind them. They turned to hear Eliza rustle and a second later she cried. Harry internally wished his daughter could have waited maybe five more minutes to have a nightmare, but her urgent cries spurred him to action.

“Papa?” She called, sniffling. “Papa!” 

Harry stood, rested his hand on Louis’s shoulder just for a moment, before going into the tent. He hoped he conveyed his emotions to Louis through how his hand rested on Louis’s shoulder. He couldn’t be sure.

“What’s wrong, treasure?” Harry asked, kneeling beside Eliza. She had glassy eyes and a few tears down her cheeks. Harry thought he heard Louis shuffle outside the tent.

Eliza sniffled. “I had a bad dream,” she mumbled. 

“It’s alright, treasure,” Harry said. “You’re safe here, with me and with Louis.” He ran his hands through her hair and up and down her back, willing her to fall back asleep. 

Eventually, Eliza spoke again. “Papa, did you know Louis loves you?” She asked sleepily. “I saw him writing about it in his journal yesterday.” She yawned. “You should tell Louis you love him too.” 

Harry shushed her gently, even as his heart began a sprint around his ribcage. Louis loved him? Could that be possible? He willed his heart to still as he watched Eliza fall back into slumber. 

He heard something clatter outside the tent and, checking to make sure Eliza was asleep, he left the tent. He needed to tell Louis that he felt the same way.

Louis stood by the fire, his face red, his brow furrowed, putting the dishes back in their bag. He didn’t look at Harry when he joined Louis by the fire. 

“Lou,” Harry said reaching for his hands. Louis pulled away. 

“It’s alright, Haz,” Louis said and Harry was immediately confused. What was alright? Why had Louis suddenly become so tense?

Louis turned and walked to the tent. “Don’t pretend around me, please. Forget I said anything.” The tent flap swished behind him, leaving Harry standing by the fire, wishing he’d understood what had just happened, longing to take Louis in his arms. Instead, his arms were empty and Harry went to bed confused. He fell asleep listening to Louis’s light snores, wondering where he’d gone wrong. 

Harry woke with a start to Louis shaking his shoulder. Harry opened his eyes to see Louis’s face, colored with concern.

“Harry, someone’s coming,” Louis hissed. “We’ve got to go.” 

He stood and began to rouse Eliza. “Eliza, darling, wake up,” Louis spoke softly, helping her sit up. “We have to move fast, alright?” She nodded sleepily but did as he told her. 

Harry stood too, rolling up the bedding and dashing out of the tent behind Louis. 

“What is it, Lou?” Harry asked their conversation from the night before clouding his mind. Louis wasn’t looking at him directly. 

“There’s a group of rebels headed our way,” Louis said. “I climbed one of the trees and spotted them. They don’t look friendly.” 

Harry nodded, loading up the bedding on one of the donkeys. “If we run, we can maybe get out of sight in the trees.” 

Louis humphed in agreement, starting on lifting the tent pegs after Eliza came out of the tent, water bucket in tow. Harry helped Eliza onto one of the donkeys, and within ten minutes, he and Louis were jogging through the trees, urging the donkeys on. 

“Can you hear them?” Harry whispered when they’d stopped. 

Louis glanced around them, turning in a slow circle. 

“No, I think we’ve…” 

But his response was drowned out as thirty men stepped out from the trees, each looking more ominous than the next. Harry grabbed Eliza and set her on the ground. Eliza clutched at his leg. Louis came to stand on Eliza’s other side. Harry caught Louis’s eye. Louis’s hand went to his sword and he nodded at Harry. 

“No one is going to hurt her,” Louis muttered. Harry nodded, and on impulse let one of his hands reach out to Louis’s waist, clutching at him. Louis leaned into it just for a moment.

“Louis, I…” 

“It’s alright, Harry.”

Louis looked at Harry, near hopeless and already exhausted. Harry gave his waist a squeeze. 

“We’ll be alright,” Harry said.

The men around them shifted, pulling swords or knocking arrows. Harry put his hands up and cursed himself that Gemma wasn’t with them. 

“We mean you no harm,” he said, feeling idiotic. The men obviously didn’t understand him. “Please, we’re just travelers.”

Louis pulled his sword, and then several things happened at once. 

Three of the men fell, knives in their backs. A fourth on the other side of the clearing suddenly lost an arm. A hissing sound flew above their heads and exploded into sparks as Niall, Zayn, Liam, and Gemma burst out of the trees, followed closely by Zayn’s men. 

The remaining men turned and fought. One slashed at Gemma’s waist, another tried to cut off Zayn’s head, and a third made for Liam, who was obviously still injured but moving well all things considered. He sliced through the man’s chest, and Harry couldn’t help but grin. Even while almost fatally wounded, Liam could still own a battlefield.

Harry and Louis leaped into action as five men charged at them. Harry fought hand to hand with two of them, trying to angle them away from Eliza and Louis. He kneed one in the gut and shoved the other to the ground so hard he got his breath knocked out of him. 

Harry turned to check on Eliza and shouted in horror as one of the men made a grab for her as she screamed and kicked at his legs as much as she could. Harry watched in amazement as, before the man could even pick Eliza up, Louis turned and shoved his sword into the attacker’s chest.

“You don’t get to touch her, you bastard!” Louis cried, pulling his sword out of the man’s chest. The man crumpled on Louis’s sword and Eliza dashed over to where Niall kneeled with his explosives. Harry finished his two assailants by bashing their heads together and turned to Louis. 

Metal clashed, guns fired, Niall’s fireworks burst, but the only thing Harry could see was Louis. The man who protected his daughter like she was his own. The man who loved history as much as Harry did. The man Harry loved. He couldn’t go another minute without saying it.

“Louis!” Harry shouted, and Louis turned. Around them the fighting continued, Zayn and Liam fighting back to back like they’d fought side by side their entire lives, Niall throwing knives and Eliza tossing fireballs in the air with little whoops, and Gemma in intense combat with three men, holding her own in a way that obviously frightened her attackers. 

Harry dashed over to Louis and grabbed his arms. “Louis, you have to know… I love you.” He was breathless and sweaty but it didn’t matter. 

Louis’s eyes widened and they both ducked to avoid a gun tossed by Zayn. The gun hit a man in the head, knocking him out cold.

“Is this the best time, Harry?” Louis shouted over the din. He turned to the sound of someone behind him, almost too late in defending himself against the sword about to land in his head. 

Out of nowhere, Liam hit the man on the head, knocking him out cold. “Carry on, gentlemen,” Liam said, limp-running back over to where Zayn fought three men. 

“As I said,” Louis shouted, slashing another man down, “is now really the best time for this?” 

Harry punched a man in the face before turning back to Louis. “I never want to go another moment without you as mine,” he said. Louis stared at him, his eyes wide. 

Then in one step, he cut off the head of the nearest attacker, and pulled Harry to him, kissing him right on the lips. Harry thought he heard Niall whoop in the background, something exploding nearby, but for one suspended moment, all he knew was Louis’s lips on his, Louis in his arms. 

“Will you two hurry the fuck up so we can get out of here alive?” Gemma shouted behind Harry and the sounds of the fighting around them came back in startling clarity. Harry pulled back from Louis, who smirked at him, his eyes twinkling. 

“Let’s destroy the shit out of them, love,” Louis said and in unison, they turned into the fray. 

Harry had never fought like this in his entire life. He felt energized, powered like he could conquer anything. His sword hit true, his aim was superb, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught Louis handling three men all on his own, dodging knives and fists like he could do it all day. 

Harry grinned, chasing a man into the jungle. He ran off, so Harry turned back into the clearing. The fighting had ceased and any of their attackers who were able ran off into the jungle. Harry’s companions ignored the remaining ones as they slinked out of the clearing, although Liam kept a keen eye on any rogue fighters.

Gemma was kneeling next to Niall and Eliza, who both were covered in soot, but otherwise unharmed. Gemma had a gash on her arm and was favoring her wrist, but was grinning, relieved. Zayn was helping Liam to the jungle floor, Liam sitting with his legs out in front of him, breathing heavy and squinting his eyes closed. Zayn sat next to Liam and Liam rested his head on Zayn’s shoulder. Zayn’s men created a perimeter as the last of their attackers ran off. 

Harry caught Louis’s eye across the clearing. His sword fell out of his hand and Louis grinned bashfully at him. He looked at Harry breathlessly, like he’d never seen anything or anyone as fascinating as Harry, and Harry felt his heart pull him onward. 

He walked quickly across the clearing, wanting to get to Louis. He was oblivious to the knowing grin Gemma and Niall exchanged, to the way Zayn and Liam watched with soft smiles. All Harry could see was Louis.

Louis met him in the middle of the clearing, his own sword falling to the side, and they fell into another kiss, grasping at one another like they’d almost lost each other. The kiss was needy, desperate, and Harry thought perhaps he was dreaming. He was finally, finally kissing Louis. He clutched Louis to him, and Louis threaded his fingers through Harry’s hair. 

“I love you,” Harry said, kissing every inch of Louis’s face he could reach. “God, I love you.”

“I love you too,” Louis said, holding so tightly to Harry, he thought maybe they’d never be separated. He never wanted to be. 

“Never leave my side. Please,” Harry said, looking into Louis’s eyes. He saw his own adoration reflected there, saw Louis looking at him with the same love and affection. It made him giddy.  

“Never,” Louis said and Harry leaned down to kiss him again, cupping Louis’s head in his hands. This kiss was gentler, tender. They kissed like they had all the time in the world, and eventually eased back, resting their foreheads together, both of them breathing heavily. 

“Papa!” Eliza cried, running over. “Louis!” They both knelt down and she jumped into them, wrapping her arms around their necks. The three of them stood, Harry and Louis, clutching at each other and at Eliza. Harry kissed Louis’s temple again. 

“Thank goodness,” Harry heard Niall say. “I was beginning to wonder.” Gemma giggled and Niall grinned up at her.

“Weren’t we all,” Liam said from where he sat as Zayn carefully checked his wounds. 

Louis and Harry shared a grin, and Eliza giggled in their arms. 

“Papa, you took a long time,” she said. 

Harry’s jaw dropped. Louis burst out laughing at him, kissing his cheek. 

“It’s alright, love,” he said. Harry was quickly getting used to the endearment already. “I took a long time too.” 

Eliza giggled again, and Louis kissed her on the head. Harry looked around at their companions. 

“Is everyone alright?” Harry asked.

“Not too worse for wear,” Niall said, standing up slowly. He grimaced and Harry watched Gemma brush soot off Niall’s chest, a peculiar feeling growing in his chest at the care his sister’s hands held. Niall looked down at Gemma and the fondness in his eyes was evident, even from six feet away as Harry, Louis, and Eliza were. 

“I think we should take an hour and take care of our wounds,” Zayn said as he finished bandaging, “and rest.” He looked pointedly down at Liam, who pretended to glare up at Zayn. 

“I can take a hint, Robin Hood,” Liam grumbled. Zayn and Louis burst out laughing, Zayn fondly ruffling Liam’s hair. Liam grinned bashfully, looking up at Zayn adoringly. Harry had to glance around him… when had Niall and Liam become fond of people without him knowing?

“Good thing you all arrived when you did,” Louis said through his laughter. “God, I thought we were going to die.” 

“It wouldn’t have happened,” Harry said firmly. “I wouldn’t have let it.”

“Let’s not debate it,” Gemma said. “I’m just glad we’re all alright.” She glanced at Zayn, then back to Harry and Louis. “We have news.” 

Immediately, Harry and Louis perked up. 

“Tell us,” Harry demanded. 

“The prince is the one after me,” Zayn said. “He’s holding my father until he can kill me.” 

Harry glanced at Louis. “So Lou was right,” he said. Louis frowned, and Harry could practically hear his mind thinking.

Zayn nodded. “Did you two find anything?” 

“Nothing,” Louis said. “There was nothing there, no traces, no clues.” 

Zayn sighed. “That means my father is at Angkor Wat.” 

“And if you want him freed…” Gemma said. 

“Then we have to go back,” Niall said. His statement stilled the seven of them, even Eliza becoming quiet in Harry’s arms. 

“You’re sure you want to do this, Zayn?” Liam asked quietly. “You could just leave. Come back with us to England?” 

Zayn shook his head. “I can’t leave if my father is a prisoner. While I’m here, I at least have some semblance of control over his circumstances. I couldn’t leave my own father to be a prisoner for my misdeeds, while I go free.” 

Liam nodded approvingly. “Then we need a plan.”

“A very, very good plan,” Niall said. 

“I think I’ve got one,” Louis said. Harry glanced over. Louis was grinning… it was the same grin Harry had first seen when he met Louis, well over a year ago. It was the Babylon grin. The grin that said adventure was coming.


	5. Chapter 5

Gemma bit at her lip as she stared out at Angkor Wat. It looked so unassuming, so stunning, clearly oblivious to the drama about to happen within its walls. She heard the tell-tale signs of men moving about behind her, horses and donkeys blowing air through their lips, Eliza’s giggle at something Niall said, Louis’s bright laugh as he finalized the plan with Zayn. 

“What’re you thinking about, Gems?” Liam came to stand next to her, grinning. 

Gemma smiled at him, feeling it tight on her face. She felt tense, uncertain. “I hope this works,” she said. “Niall’s very committed to getting us out in one piece.” 

“Well, he’s the kind of man who keeps his word,” Liam said. “Louis has a good plan and between the two of them, I think we’ll be alright.” 

“I’m mostly worried about what we can’t plan for,” Gemma said. “But I trust Louis’s plan and Zayn’s knowledge of the temples. If we do pull this off…” 

“It might be one of the best things we do,” Liam said with a nod. 

Gemma hummed. “It’s certainly one of the most dangerous and the most intricate. We’ve never had to hunt down a person before.” 

“I guess there’s a first time for everything,” Liam said. 

Gemma looked slyly over at him. “Indeed,” she said, ignoring his curious look. “Zayn is certainly new.” 

Liam sighed. “Zayn’s just a friend. A good friend.” 

Gemma hummed again. “Whatever you say, Liam.” She turned and led their way back to where the group was gathering. Louis guided Harry over a tree root with a steady hand on his lower back, Zayn came to stand on Liam’s other side and they crowded around Niall, Garnet, and Eliza playing attention at his feet. 

“Alright,” Niall said, rubbing his hands together. He looked eager to get started. “Louis’s got a plan but it’s taking all of us to get it done. The sooner we get started the sooner we can get out of here.” 

There were affirmative grunts and hums throughout the group. Gemma appreciated Niall’s eagerness to get going. Her blood was pumping through her veins… they’d never attempted anything quite like this before. Was it foolhardy? To go up against a Prince’s army? They didn’t even know how many men they would encounter.

“Zayn, let’s send your men in now,” Louis said. 

Zayn turned and, with a simple gesture, his men moved out, twenty men on foot and horseback, spreading through the trees and making their way towards Angkor Wat, as hidden as possible. The group watched Zayn’s men slide into Angkor Wat, climbing over the wall, sneaking horses through doors and holes in the crumbling walkways. All was quiet for several moments, then a great whistle pierced the air.

“Here we go,” Harry said. Zayn and Liam mounted their horses and galloped down the hill. Gemma couldn’t help but worry about Liam’s wounds a bit. He’d been steadily better but Gemma worried about the potential for something to go wrong.

Louis, Harry, Niall, and Gemma watched them go, saw them enter the temple, there was a long pause, and a few moments later, they heard Liam’s whistle.

“That’s our cue, Gems,” Niall said, climbing up onto a horse one of Zayn’s men lent him. “Eliza, you’re coming with us. Do exactly as we say, and don’t make any noise if you can help it.” 

Eliza received two kisses from Harry and Louis and she excitedly let Harry help her up behind Niall. Gemma swung up onto her own and she and Niall set their horses to a canter down the hill, leaving Harry and Louis behind. 

“Let’s leave the horses in the outer courtyard,” Gemma said as she led the three of them to the entrance. They trotted across the bridge, keeping an eye out for anyone or anything. So far it was quiet in the outer temple… Gemma could only hope it would stay that way a bit longer.

Gemma dismounted her horse, letting the reins fall so her horse would stay put until they need him again. Niall followed suit and helped Eliza down. Niall and Gemma exchanged a look, and Niall reached out to take her hand. He gave it a squeeze.

“Ready?” Gemma asked. Niall nodded. Eliza jumped on her toes, nodding enthusiastically.

Niall let out another piercing whistle, the signal to Harry and Louis. Gemma led the way into the temple, following the route Zayn had run through with her seven times to make sure she remembered it. 

They ran into the front courtyard where’d they’d found the idol, where Niall planted the start of a fuse. They continued on, taking a right, a left, another left, and a right, past a second courtyard, then down the long hall into the yard just behind the first temple. Three smaller temples stood in front of them. Niall and Eliza followed Gemma closely, their footsteps light on the floor. Niall trailed the long fuse behind him and planted a stick of black dynamite in the center of the lawn.

There was a shout from somewhere up ahead and Niall and Gemma exchanged a glance. 

“I guess they found the Prince’s men,” Niall said. “Let’s hope Zayn and Liam got past them alright.”

“Let’s set up the rest of the explosives,” Gemma said. Niall handed her another bundle of dynamite. 

“Attach the fuse to the first stick of dynamite, then go around the outside of the far temple,” Niall said. “Have it set off just behind it, if the fuse reaches that far.” 

Gemma ran to do as he asked, trailing the fuse and trying to give the building a wide berth. No use destroying the buildings if they could help it. She ran back to Niall, the fighting growing louder behind her. 

“I think they know we’re here,” Gemma said. Niall was mixing some powders together, lying a trail through the grass, and Eliza was stacking small balls, of what, Gemma couldn’t say, near the entrances of the three temples. 

“What will those do?” Gemma asked, gesturing to Eliza and the stacks of small black balls. 

“They’ll burst if they’re jostled,” Niall said. “Eliza has steady hands.” 

“And the powder?” 

“Will spread a fire that will prevent them from coming through the main temple,” Niall replied. “It’ll just burn the powder and won’t catch the grass around it.”

Gemma nodded, watching Eliza carefully stack the balls, then run back over to them. There was a great shout and the sound of gunfire. 

“We need to get back to the courtyard,” Gemma said. “Liam and Zayn will have hopefully found his father by now.”

“Niall is there…” Eliza started but Gemma shushed her. 

“Not now, darling, we have to go,” Gemma said. 

“But…” 

Niall took Eliza’s hand. “Tell us once we’re in the courtyard alright, Liza?” And the three of them dashed back through the temples.

____

Harry and Louis ran into the temple, past Niall and Gemma’s horses, and into the courtyard. Louis pulled the idol out of his bag and placed it back on the pedestal at the center of the courtyard. 

“Now we wait,” Harry said with a sigh. 

“We wait,” Louis said. They both pulled their swords at the sound of footsteps, but relaxed when they saw it was just Gemma, Niall, and Eliza. 

“You’re alright,” Louis said, relieved. Harry hugged Eliza to him tightly. Gemma grinned at him, but he could tell she was worried. There was a tightness to her that replaced her usual fire whenever they were in a fight.

“We didn’t encounter anyone,” Gemma said breathlessly. “It’s a good thing we sent Zayn’s men in first.” 

“The explosives are set,” Niall said. He rustled around in his bag, pulling out vials, powders, and a box of matches. 

“When will you light the fuse?” Louis asked. 

“Once we hear…” But Niall was cut off by a fourth whistle, loud and shrill. His cue. Niall knelt, lighting the fuse. It sputtered to life and they watched it slowly crawl out of the courtyard. Harry hoped it would be enough to get them and Zayn’s father away in enough time.

“I wish we had more time,” Louis said longingly. “I would take reliefs of these carvings.” 

“I’d want to draw the courtyard in its entirety,” Gemma said as Zayn, Liam, and a man who no doubt was Zayn’s father, came into view. Liam and Zayn were on horseback, Zayn’s father riding behind Zayn on a third horse. Zayn had a bloody gash on his arm, Liam was wheezing, and Lord Malik looked emaciated and thin. Harry realized with a start that Zayn’s father had been captured for over a year.

“Where’d the third horse come from?” Harry asked. “Are you alright?” He saw Eliza talking to Niall out of the corner of his eye, but paid attention to Liam’s response.

“Stole it from one of the Prince’s men,” Liam said. The three of them were breathless. Lord Malik looked at the group with a scathingly hard gaze. Harry knew without a doubt that Zayn’s father was not someone he wanted to get in a fight with.

“There’s more of them than we thought,” Liam said. “We have to get out of here as soon as possible. The Prince wants Zayn’s head on a spike.”

“Did you see him?” Gemma asked. Zayn nodded, looking frightened. It caught Harry off guard. Even when Liam’s life had been in danger, Zayn hadn’t looked rattled at all.  

“Shit," Everyone turned to look at Niall. He was looking down at Eliza in shock, his face pale. 

“Niall, what’s wrong?” Louis asked with a concerned frown. 

Niall looked up at them, locking eyes with Louis. “I planted the wrong dynamite.” 

“What do you mean the wrong dynamite?” Gemma asked. She frowned, and Harry could see her agitation grow. 

“It’s a bigger blow than we wanted,” Niall said, closing his eyes tightly, looking concerned. 

“How much bigger?” Gemma said tensely. 

Niall didn’t answer. Eliza piped up. 

“He used the black stick,” Eliza said, looking concernedly between the adults. Zayn’s horse shifted on his hooves.

“What does black mean?” Liam asked. Gemma was looking more and more tense. Louis looked disconcerted, his gasp clueing the rest of the group into exactly what black meant.

“Big,” Niall said, opening his eyes reluctantly, meeting Gemma’s gaze. He looked frightened and dejected. “Really big. We’d have to be up the hill to avoid the blast.” Louis and Gemma exchanged a worried look. “It’ll blow the whole back of the building,” Niall said. Harry gulped. Liam groaned.

“Honestly, I don’t really care at this point,” Zayn said, “I want to make it out of here alive more than I want to protect an old building.” His father scoffed behind them and Harry frowned at him. It felt like the whole group was holding their breath.

“I care,” Gemma said. Harry nodded vigorously in agreement. “This place is hundreds of years old! Isn’t there a way we can do both?”

“We can’t just blow this place up, Niall,” Harry agreed. “It’s a relic!” Niall didn’t take his eyes off Gemma, but Harry knew he’d heard him. Niall blinked quickly.

“Can you fix it?” Gemma asked. Harry got a distinct recollection of his mother. “Niall, we can’t be careless. There has to be something...” Niall groaned and ran his hands through his hair.

“Careless? That dynamite is going to save us, Gems!” Niall said, gesturing towards the back of the temple. “Would you rather we get out of here alive?” 

“I’d rather us leave this place alive  _ without _ any harm to anything,” Gemma snapped back. Her face was red and she looked distressed. Harry hadn’t seen her fight with anyone in a long time.

Harry looked between Niall and Gemma, each of them staring the other down. After two tense seconds, something switched in Niall. His gaze softened to resignation, something like a regretful knowing flashing across his face. He nodded once to himself.

“No... Niall, I know that look. Don’t you dare...” Louis said. He made to grab Niall but Niall jumped around him. Niall strode towards the hall at the back of the courtyard where Liam, Zayn, and Lord Malik sat on their horses. 

“I can fix it, Gemma. I can replace the dynamite,” he said determinedly, jogging up the stairs out of the courtyard. Harry saw Gemma do a double take, alarm filling her face. She shook her head, mouthed the word “no”. Harry turned back to Niall walking away from them.

“You can’t just kill the fuse?” Harry asked. Niall didn’t stop. “Niall!” Harry shouted at him. The resignation on Niall’s face filled him with dread. He felt Eliza come and clutch at his leg. 

“It won’t start again as easily,” Niall shouted back. He paused, just in front of Zayn and Liam’s horses, turning to look at the rest of them, his eyes landing on Gemma again. Gemma was shaking her head at him, looking for all the world like she wished she could take back everything she’d said.

“I’ll fix it,” he said assuredly. “Get yourselves out of here. Leave my horse, I’ll meet you up the hill. It’ll be alright.”

“Niall, you can’t just leave!” Louis cried. His voice was high pitched and he sounded frightened, worried. “We can come up with a plan.” Louis took a few steps towards Niall as if to follow him, but Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him back, Eliza rooting them to the spot. The look of worry on her face had Harry beginning to panic.

“This is ridiculous. Those are your biggest explosives! Your mother wouldn’t want you to do this,” Louis shouted, angry now, his face red as he watched his friend back away, his wrist still in Harry’s grasp. “You could die, damn it!”

“I’ll be alright, Lou,” Niall said quietly. “Go!” Niall turned, darting past Zayn’s horse.

Zayn made a desperate grab for him, his horse dancing under his feet, almost crushing Niall’s foot.

“Niall!” Liam shouted. “Don’t be an idiot!” He made to grasp Niall’s arm as he ran by, but Niall slid through Liam’s grasp like butter.

Niall waved him off and darted down the hall. Gemma’s eyes widened as he grew smaller and smaller and she made a dash for the hall. Harry let go of Louis and grabbed Gemma around the waist, pulling her to a stop. 

“Niall, you can’t!” she shouted at his retreating figure, fighting against Harry’s arms around her waist. “Niall, come back!” 

He didn’t come back. He raced around the corner of the hall and out of sight. Gemma slumped in Harry’s arms, covering her mouth with her hands, an anguished tangled noise escaping from her lips.

“Niall!” Louis shouted. There was silence, not even footsteps down the hall. They heard shouts and horse’s hooves, and the ground shook as one of Niall’s explosives went off. Beside him, Harry heard the sound of his daughter’s muffled, frightened sob.

____

Gemma stared down the hall. Surely Niall would be back in just a few moments. He’d come running around the corner, saying everything was fine, saying the dynamite was set perfectly, there hadn’t been a mistake. They’d run and leave and get Zayn’s father to safety. 

She didn’t notice Liam get off his horse with a grunt, didn’t see him walk over to her. She felt his arm around her shoulder gently turning her around, away from the hall Niall had run down. 

“Come on, Gems,” Liam said gently. “We need to leave.” He ushered her out, pulling his horse behind him. 

Gemma glanced around her. Harry was holding Eliza, and tugging Louis behind him. Louis looked shocked, horrified, his eyes wet with unshed tears. They made it out of the temple and Liam helped Gemma onto her horse. Niall’s horse stood by calmly, chewing a bit of grass, none the wiser that his rider had run off, potentially to his death. The horse stayed, even as all his companions were claimed and mounted and turned away from the temple.

Harry led the way up the hill, Eliza sitting in front of him, a dazed Louis and shaking Gemma following Harry on their own horses. Lord Malik rode behind them, and Liam and Zayn and the remains of Zayn’s men brought up the rear. The donkeys and Garnet waited for them and Liam, Zayn, and Garnet rounded them up, herding them further into the jungle.

As they crested the top of the hill, there was a great bang and Gemma turned just in time to see a massive explosion behind her. The group came to a halt, watching rocks, trees, and bushes burst into the air. Gemma thought she could see men flying into the air too, their limbs flailing limply as they soared high above the temple. There were panicked shouts from the Prince’s men and Gemma felt her throat close up. 

She covered her mouth with her hand, not knowing she was sobbing, not feeling the tears on her cheeks. Her whole body tensed, rigid with fear and horror. She’d sent Niall to die.

“No,” Liam said, his hand falling into his hand. “Oh, god.” A cold silence settled around them, and Gemma heard Eliza let out another sob. 

“Look!” Zayn cried, pointing towards the temple. “Look, he’s alive!” 

Gemma gasped and followed where Zayn pointed. There, dashing through the courtyard as if his life depended on it, was Niall. Gemma felt her whole body flush with relief, her throat opening up again, letting out pent-up air in a burst.

“Yes!” Louis shouted, a grin spreading onto his face. Eliza shrieked in glee and Gemma couldn’t help but laugh. 

They watched as Niall ran through the entrance of the temple, flung himself on his horse, and urged him to a gallop, flying away from the temple as three more explosions flew into the sky behind him, framing him in rocks and shrapnel. He bounded up the hill, urging his horse ever faster. There were more shouts from the temple and Niall’s face was the picture of resolute.

Gemma wasn’t sure why Niall seemed so determined until she looked again. There was a great blow of a horn and Gemma’s heart dropped to her stomach as all of sudden, men poured out of the temple entrance, each on horseback, each wearing the banner of the Prince, flooding through the entrance like a wave of brown, blue and white. 

“Go!” Niall shouted as he neared them. “Go!” 

They listened and turned their horses, Zayn galloping to the front of the group. 

“Follow me,” Zayn shouted. “I can get us out of here.” He urged his horse on into the jungle, Harry, Louis, Gemma, Lord Malik, Liam, and Niall hot on his heels. Garnet barked, herding the donkeys to follow the horses and Zayn’s men took up the rear.

Gemma settled into her seat, squeezing her horse tight around the middle with her legs. Zayn led them through the trees, across a creek, urging them as fast as they could through the green. They leaped over fallen trees, ducked under branches until they burst into a clearing, Zayn pulling his horse to a quick stop. The rest of the group followed suit. 

“There’s a canyon just over there,” Zayn pointed, his horse prancing underneath him. “If we can get to it and get across it, the Prince will leave us alone.” 

“Why?” Harry asked. 

“Don’t ask,” Lord Malik muttered. 

Zayn nodded and turned his horse, the group having no choice but to follow. Several more strides had them emerging to a massive canyon, the other side invisible due to fog resting in the crevice. Zayn called everyone to a halt, riding up and down the edge for a moment. Finding the trail, he gestured everyone to continue. 

It was steep terrain, rocky and coarse with several switchbacks along the side of the canyon, but Zayn urged them on. Louis followed, deftly maneuvering his horse through the turns, Harry, with Eliza sitting just in front of him, keeping a safe distance between them. Gemma followed, then Lord Malik, then Liam, then Niall. It was slow going and above them at the lip of the canyon, Gemma could hear the sounds of the Prince’s army getting closer and closer. 

Finally, the trail met the canyon floor, and they each urged their horses back to a gallop, one after another bursting forth in a crest of hooves and flying manes. The seven of them spread out, riding in a line, Zayn’s men, the donkeys, and Garnet following just behind. The fog enveloped them and Zayn pulled them to a halt, signaling everyone to be quiet. Around them, the only thing they could see was fog. 

They could just barely hear the sounds of their pursuers. Gemma’s horse pranced beneath her, Niall’s horse paced, Garnet whined once, and they were all breathing heavily. Finally, the sounds faded away, and Zayn relaxed. 

“We did it,” Zayn said, sounding relieved. Gemma grinned, relaxing her shoulders. They were alright. They were safe.

“Yes,” Lord Malik’s dry voice cut through their relief. “Until the fog clears.” 

Lord Malik didn’t see Zayn scowl. Louis trotted his horse over to Niall and shoved him in the shoulder. 

“You idiot!” Louis said, half angry and half relieved. Gemma almost chuckled… she felt the same way. “Do you realize you could have died?” 

Niall grinned bashfully. “Sorry, Lou…”

“You better be, you git,” Louis said. “Christ,” and he leaned over to pull Niall into a hug. “What happened to everyone making it out alive?” 

“Lou, I was the only one who could…” 

“No, I won’t hear it,” Louis said, pulling back and shaking his finger in Niall’s face. “You weren’t the only one anything. Your mother would not have greeted you happily if you’d died. She’d wring your neck.” 

That statement had Niall silenced in two seconds. 

“What happened, Niall?” Harry asked.

Niall glanced around at them. “It didn’t go off. The fuse died halfway down the hall. I ran back once I realized it was alright.” 

“Did you get caught in the first explosion?” Liam said. He’d trotted his horse over to Zayn, who was eyeing Liam’s wounds worriedly. Liam did look a bit pale. 

Niall shook his head. “No, I was back in the main temple when it went off. That one was also bigger than I expected.” 

Harry laughed out loud. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, Niall. Just please never put your life in danger intentionally again.” He rode over to Niall and clasped his shoulder. “We’d be rather lost without you.” 

Eliza wiggled her way out from between her father’s arms to hug Niall, almost falling down in between the two horses. Harry caught her around the middle. 

“We’re glad you’re safe, Niall,” Liam said. 

Niall grinned and Gemma felt a twinge in her heart. It was her fault he’d almost died. What could she possibly say to him?

The group dispersed a bit, and Gemma watched Niall trot over to check on the donkeys. They’d all stuck with the group, each of them still carrying their burdens. Garnet whined at the feet of Niall’s horse and he shushed her. 

“I’m alright,” he said down to her. Gemma couldn’t put into words how grateful she was. Her earlier anger had diminished in an instant when he’d run from them in the courtyard.

She shook her head to herself. When had she started putting historical artifacts above the life of the people she cared about? She’d just motioned her horse forward to make her way to Niall when Zayn spoke.

“We need to keep moving,” Zayn said. “If we can make it to the far side of the canyon, we can rest for the night before climbing up it tomorrow morning.” 

He turned his horse and led the way. They had no choice but to go on.

____   
  


Niall was sure he could see the edge of the canyon just ahead of them. But every time he thought they were close, he realized it was just the light playing tricks on him, making things appear closer than they appeared. He shook his head and took a drink of water. 

He didn’t like how he and Gemma had argued before he went to fix the explosives. She hadn’t spoken to him since he’d burst out of the temple, feeling like the devil himself was at his back. But every time he caught her eye, she’d smile, albeit a bit embarrassed. He didn’t quite know what to make of that. He’d made the mistake, not her.  

They were walking their horses side by side, the six of them, with Zayn’s men and father behind them. It was a quiet party, little bits of conversation here and there. Niall rode next to Louis, who hadn’t let Niall out of his sight since he’d emerged from the temple. Louis and Harry chatted, more at ease now that they were out of harm’s way. Zayn rode on Harry’s other side, keeping an eye on Liam and Gemma was on Liam’s other side, gazing around them at their surroundings. Garnet trotted at Niall’s feet. 

Niall wondered how to go talk to Gemma. The look of relief on her face when he’d bounded up the hill towards her had spurred him on more than he’d expected. It was better than the look on her face when he’d left. She’d looked horrified, and he’d never seen her that shocked. It had startled him so much, he’d almost stayed with them. It was her words about his carelessness echoing through his head that had pushed him.

Zayn called everyone to stop for a rest. The group dismounted their horses, taking a moment to sit down on solid earth. Niall walked over to Zayn and Liam. 

“How are you doing, mate?” He asked quietly. Liam grimaced. He was breathing heavily and most of his weight was on Zayn, Zayn’s arm wrapped gently around Liam’s waist. 

“I think some of his wounds have reopened...” Zayn started, but Liam cut him off. 

“I’m fine,” Liam said stiffly. “You didn’t have to stop for…” He didn’t finish, just let out a gasp and clutched his side. 

Zayn rolled his eyes and gently lowered Liam to the floor. 

“Niall, can you make a bit of that poultice again?” Zayn asked and Niall nodded, kneeling down next to them and pulling out various herbs, mixing them with water, while Zayn peeled Liam’s sweaty shirt off his torso. The wound on his side was open and raw, but it wasn’t bleeding which Niall took as a good sign. 

“I’m alright.” Liam tried to say again, but Zayn hushed him and applied the poultice to Liam’s wounds. Niall felt a tug on his arm and turned to see Eliza looking expectantly at him. Her face was red from crying but he opened his arms to her and she threw herself into the hug, clutching at his neck.

“I’m sorry I scared you, Liza,” Niall whispered. He pulled back to look at her face. “And I’m sorry I didn’t listen earlier. I should have.” 

Eliza smiled and kissed his cheek. “It’s alright, Uncle Niall.” She giggled as Garnet licked her face. “Auntie Gems said something about apprenting… apprecing…” She struggled with the word, but Niall grinned.

“Apprenticing with me?” Niall finished for her. Eliza nodded. “I think that’s a great idea.” Liam nodded in agreement next to them as Zayn checked through his wounds. 

Niall glanced in the direction of Harry, Louis, and Gemma. Gemma was watching him, and grinned hesitantly when he caught her eye. He smiled back softly. He’d hated leaving her.

“Niall, do you have mint leaves for my water?” Eliza asked, scratching at Garnet’s ears.

“I do,” Niall said, rummaging in his bag again, pulling out some mint leaves. “Do you have your canteen?” She held it up for him. “Go ahead and open it,” He said. 

She did and he rubbed the mint leaves between his fingers before dropping them in. “Now, give it a good shake.” 

Eliza put the cap back on her canteen and shook it. 

He smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “You’re handling all this very well, Eliza.” 

She smiled and Niall saw Harry’s dimples on her cheeks. “Papa says if I’m good, he’ll bring me on more trips,” she whispered conspiratorially. Liam chuckled from where he lay next to them.

“We’d be lost without you, Eliza,” Liam said, grunting as Zayn helped him put his shirt back on. 

“Are you alright, Uncle Liam?” Eliza asked, wrapping her little arms around his neck. He grunted again but pulled her into his lap, ignoring the worried whimper Zayn made. 

“I’m going to be just fine,” Liam said, looking Eliza in the eyes. “Between Zayn and Niall here, I’m in good hands.” He glanced between Niall and Zayn and Niall smiled.

“We’re almost to the other side of the canyon,” Zayn said, addressing the three of them. Niall noticed Zayn’s hand rested on Liam’s lower back. “Once we get out we can make camp and stay a few days to rest.”

“I like you, Mister Zayn,” Eliza said approvingly. Niall couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well, you’re stuck with us now, Zayn,” Niall said. “Once you have Eliza’s approval, your fate is decided.”

“You won’t find me complaining,” Zayn said with a chuckle.

Niall stood, leaving Eliza to chatter away with Zayn and Liam. He saw Gemma standing by herself and walked over to her. His stomach flip-flopped, but the desire to talk with her pulled him to her like a magnet.

“Gems,” he said hesitantly, reaching out to touch her elbow. She turned and looked down at where his hand reached her then looked up at him, a sorry smile on her face. 

“Niall,” She replied, meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry…” She started right as Niall spoke.

“I should’ve…” 

They chuckled. “You first,” Niall said. 

“I’m sorry,” Gemma said. “I shouldn’t have been so upset. Zayn was right, I should have been more worried about our lives than preserving a building. I shouldn’t have pushed you to go back.” 

Niall reached for her hand, trailing his fingers down her palm. “I should have been more careful. It’s our job to protect history, isn’t it?”

Gemma nodded, smiling down at the ground in silence for a few moments. “You… you scared me,” she said, looking back up at him and her smile diminishing a bit. She sounded surprised.

Niall grimaced. “I’m sorry. All I could see was my mother…” he trailed off, unable to continue. Gemma gripped his hand in hers. 

“I want to know what happened to her,” Gemma said. 

“I know,” Niall said. “The only person in the world who knows is Louis. I…” He paused, looking around them. It wasn’t the time to tell her, not now. 

“I can be patient,” she said. 

“I want to tell you,” Niall said.  

She nodded and they stood in silence for a moment, gazing out into the canyon, hand in hand. Gemma gave his hand a squeeze. 

Niall took in a deep breath. “My mother died during a robbery of a bank. I sent along explosives that they could set to distract the police but something went wrong. Something went off before it was supposed to and my mother got caught in one of the vaults. She was burned alive…” He didn’t realize he was crying until Gemma reached up her hand to cup his cheek, some of his tears falling on her thumb. “It was all my fault. I could have saved her, I could have triple checked everything.” 

Gemma took a step closer to him, her thumb gently grazing his cheek, her face calm and empathetic, her eyes shining with tears. She understood. 

“I thought…” Niall started, taking in another deep breath to try and control the shaking of his lungs, “I thought if I was able to change the dynamite, I could make up for being responsible for my mother’s death.”

Gemma grimaced and her hand fell from Niall’s cheek to rest at the curve of his neck. Her fingers were gentle against his skin, and Niall felt himself zoom in on the tenderness in her touch. 

“You mother would never have wanted you to sacrifice yourself like that,” Gemma said softly. “You’ve told me before that she and I are similar. If we are as similar as you say, she would have wrung your neck the minute you entered heaven.” She chuckled wetly. “Just like Louis said.”

Niall nodded dumbly and he wiped his eyes, not even caring that the rest of their group could see them. Gemma took one final step towards him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Niall slid his arms around her waist, and let his nose burrow into her hair.

“Eddie ran back into our burning home after he’d made sure I was safe,” Gemma said into his shoulder. “He wanted to try and save our books. I teased him about it, thinking he’d be back out in just a few minutes. But he never came back.” She pulled back to look up at Niall. “I regretted everything I said the minute you started saying you were leaving.”

Niall pulled her back into his chest, letting his nose rest on the top of her head. He breathed her in, closing his eyes shut tight. She had seen her husband leaving her again (which Niall knew he’d have to unpack at some point, but not now, while he had her in his arms). He had seen his mother telling him to make up for his mistake. What a pair they made.

“I’m sorry. I should never have put us in that much danger,” Niall said. “And I should have thought things through more carefully. I should have triple checked things.”

Gemma nodded. “All’s forgiven. We all make innocent mistakes, Niall. You’re alright.” 

Niall didn’t know how he’d find it in himself to let her go, but somehow he did. He stepped back, smiling down at her, his face stiff from tear tracks down his cheeks. She grinned up at him softly.

“How is Liam?” Gemma asked as he let her go. “He seemed rather pale.” 

“Better,” Niall said. “Zayn takes good care of him.” They both turned, watching Zayn and Liam laughing with Eliza, who still sat in Liam’s lap. Louis and Harry were talking close together, their fingers weaved together. Niall grinned to himself. 

“You know, I’ll never get tired of seeing Lou look so happy,” Niall said, feeling a bit like their conversation could return to normal. Gemma chuckled. 

“I feel the same about Harry.” She replied. “Eliza seems thrilled.”

“She seems easy to please.” 

“Give her an adventure and she’s happy. Just like her father.” 

Niall couldn’t help but watch Gemma watch Eliza. “Just like her aunt,” he said softly. Gemma looked at him, opening her mouth to reply. Niall was prevented from hearing it, however, when Zayn stood and spoke to the group.

“We’re almost to the other side of the canyon,” Zayn said. “Once there we can regroup.” 

Niall sighed. “Almost there.” He muttered. 

Gemma rested her hand on his forearm. “Almost there,” she said encouragingly. Niall somehow found it in him to go on as they mounted their horses again. Harry and Louis led the charge, the rest of them falling in line. Gemma walked her horse beside Niall’s, teasing him like usual. They camped for the night, leaving the next morning. The trek up the canyon wall went quickly and before Niall knew it they were back in the jungle once more.

____

The group watched Zayn pace back and forth in front of the tent. They were circled around the fire, waiting for Zayn’s father to make an appearance. Liam stood closest to Zayn, Niall, and Gemma next to him, and Louis, Eliza, and Harry across from Zayn. Liam’s eyes followed Zayn’s movement nervously, and even Eliza was quiet, whispering with Niall about the horse she and Harry had been riding. 

They’d camped a few hours’ ride into the jungle, a clearing Zayn and his father agreed was safe enough for them to camp for the night. The flickering light from several fires stood out like spotlights in the dark. Gemma couldn’t help but wonder if they really were safe… Zayn didn’t seem at ease at all.

Lord Malik hadn’t spoken a direct word to Zayn the entire time they’d been traveling, at least not that Gemma noticed. She’d seen plenty of other things… giddy looks between Louis and Harry, Eliza chattering away to Liam and Zayn. She and Niall had spent most of the ride talking about his garden and her library, but she kept a close eye on her comrades all the same. After they’d made camp, Zayn’s father had seemed to dissolve in the jungle. Zayn’d been twitchy ever since.

“I’m sure everything is fine, Zayn,” Gemma said soothingly. She took the cup of tea Niall passed her, their fingers brushing lightly against each other. “Your father was held for a long time. That’s quite a bit to recover from.” 

Zayn nodded absently, still pacing, when there was a noise in the brush and Zayn’s father emerged from the trees. He looked resolute, a replica of his son in the midst of explaining something important. He still looked emaciated, but he’d changed and wore finer clothes, leather boots, and looked calculating, careful, and tired.

Lord Malik came to stand between Louis and Gemma, looking at the group, scanning their faces. When he met Gemma’s eyes, she nodded, curious at the hesitance and resolve she saw in Lord Malik’s eyes. He seemed to look over her entirely.

“I want to thank you all, for helping my son,” Lord Malik said. “I am grateful to be free again and able to help my people.” 

“You’re welcome,” Harry said, speaking for the group. The rest didn’t seem eager to speak with him. Gemma certainly wasn’t. “It’s been an exciting adventure for us.” 

“Yes,” Lord Malik said. There was a touch of disdain to his tone and he seemed to turn up his nose at Harry’s statement. “I wish you a safe return home. My men can see you to the border. It’s an eight days’ ride. From there you can make your way to the ocean and sail home.” 

He spoke in a clipped, dismissive manner, and Gemma briefly wondered where Zayn got his warmth and cheerfulness from. She and Harry exchanged a glance, Niall lifted his eyebrows, and Louis frowned. Zayn seemed apprehensive… like he was waiting for something else.

It seemed Zayn was right to be waiting, for Lord Malik turned to his son next. “And you, my son,” he said, disappointment dripping from his tone. Zayn’s face steeled over, the twinkle flickering out of his eye like a candle, resignation in his shoulders.  

“Father, I know what you’re going to say,” Zayn started, but Lord Malik cut him off with a firm wave of his hand.

“You do not,” Lord Malik said firmly. “You wouldn’t believe the things I heard when I was held prisoner. The things I heard about you. Things I never thought my son would be a part of.” 

“I’m sorry, Father…” Zayn tried, but Harry knew a lost cause when he saw one. Lord Malik was going to be unwavering in whatever he told Zayn.

“I tried to hope that they weren’t true.” Lord Malik continued as if Zayn hadn’t said anything. “An affair with the Prince… whoever heard of such a thing from a boy from the jungle.” His tone was even like he was commenting on the weather or what was for dinner. But the look on Zayn’s face spoke volumes about how his father’s words were intended. It made Gemma wonder once again about the nature of Zayn’s relationship with his father. 

“And I see you with another man and everything is confirmed,” Lord Malik continued. Gemma noticed Harry frown and felt Niall gently elbow her in the ribs. Zayn’s eyes flickered to Liam, his whole body tightening like a spring. Liam went pale, and if that wasn’t confirmation for Niall and Gemma’s theory on the nature of Liam and Zayn’s relationship, they didn’t know what was.

“Leave him out of this,” Zayn said, practically spitting the words. He was coiled into himself as if he was expecting his father to lash out and hit him. Liam was standing stone still next to him.

“You were banished, Zayn Malik, and you shall leave this country immediately,” Lord Malik said, once again ignoring his son. “I don’t care where you go or what you do. But I can no longer call you a son of mine.” 

He turned to go and Zayn called after him. “You’ll just walk away? You won’t even speak with me about it?” 

Lord Malik turned, looking at his son. Zayn’s hands were bunched into fists at his sides and something passed between father and son that caused Zayn’s shoulders to sag. Lord Malik turned his back on Zayn but disappointment didn’t come to his face… instead, it looked like Zayn had expected this all along.

Zayn stood there a moment longer, staring at the trees until his father was out of sight, as if he could will his father to come back. But Lord Malik didn’t return. The trees stood as they had for years and didn’t give back anything from their depths. 

There was a beat of silence, Zayn rubbing his eyes and Eliza looking anxiously between the adults. Liam stole a glance at Gemma, pleading in his eyes and Gemma understood at once, nodding at him. Liam smiled gratefully.

“I think we mentioned something a while back about you coming back to England for scones?” Liam said into the quiet. 

Zayn chuckled ruefully. “Is that an offer?” 

“Absolutely,” Louis said and Harry nodded. Gemma was grateful for their solidarity.

“We can set up a bedroom for you,” Eliza added excitedly. There was quiet laughter around the group. 

“Besides, we could use a mind like yours,” Gemma said, thinking back through Zayn’s clever planning and quiet manner. “We seem to be making these adventures rather frequently.”

“An extra sword isn’t bad either,” Niall said, his easy grin across his face. Gemma suspected Niall also wanted to see Liam around Zayn more.

Zayn looked around at them all. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m not sure how to show how grateful I am…”

Niall shrugged. “Come with us to England and we’ll be the ones grateful to you. Wouldn’t you say it’s about time you returned home?”

Zayn looked wistful and grinned around at them. Niall was completely at ease next to Gemma, as if they’d decided on Zayn returning with them ages ago. Gemma could see Louis’s mind already whirring in his head, no doubt planning another adventure for them. Eliza dashed over and hugged Zayn around the legs. 

“You can be part of our family, Uncle Zayn,” she said. The look on Harry’s face at the kindness of his daughter almost brought Gemma to happy tears.

Zayn looked up to Liam, who stood next to him, smiling. Liam reached out a hand, grasping Zayn’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

“Just home,” Liam said cryptically, but Zayn seemed to understand for he nodded, looking back down to Eliza still squeezing his legs. He ran his fingers through her hair and smiled. Gemma wasn’t sure he’d seen him that content the entire time Zayn had been in their company. 

“How about we have dinner and do some planning?” Niall said, kneeling down to coax the fire. “We’ll need to start thinking about our way home.” 

“Home,” Gemma sighed, resting her hands on her heart. “We can have a proper afternoon tea, with scones and sandwiches and desserts,” she said wistfully, sitting down next to Niall and digging through his bag for spices. 

Niall glanced over at her and smirked, his eyes twinkling. “I’m not the only one who thinks of food all the time.”

Gemma laughed out loud and shoved him in the shoulder, pushing him onto his back. Eliza immediately joined in the fun, running around the fire and leaping onto Niall’s stomach. He grunted but tickled her, laughing as she flailed her little arms. She shrieked gleefully, and the next moment, Louis was picking Eliza up and swinging her around. 

Gemma smiled wide and glanced over at Harry. He was watching his daughter laughing up a storm with Gemma, Niall, and Louis and the look of fondness on his face was obvious.  _ What a family to raise her in _ , Gemma thought. Elizabeth would have been proud. Harry smiled to himself and Gemma grinned before something caught her attention from the corner of her eye.

Liam had pulled Zayn into a one-armed hug, his injured arm still held gingerly at his side. Zayn’s arm was wrapped tight around Liam’s waist, and Liam was whispering something into Zayn’s ear. Zayn smiled bashfully. 

There was a shriek and Gemma turned her head again to see Eliza piggybacking on Louis as he ran around, Niall cheering them on while he threw some food over the fire. Gemma shook her head fondly, the image of Liam and Zayn still in her mind. 

It was as they were cleaning up dinner that Gemma got a moment alone with Liam. They were washing dishes in the creek, the laughter of their friends at camp behind them. 

“How’re your wounds, Li?” Gemma asked, swishing water around one of the dinner plates before passing it to Liam to dry. 

“I’m feeling better,” Liam said, rolling his shoulders and lifting his arms a bit. “Yesterday was hard but I guess we’re in the home stretch now. I doubt Zayn will let me leave my bed the entire time we’re on the ship.”

Gemma glanced over at Liam. He’d always kept himself so closed off to anyone who wanted to know him deeper. What had made Zayn different? “What did Lord Malik mean earlier? When he was talking about Zayn with another man?” 

Liam's hands stilled their drying and he didn’t respond right away. Gemma met his eyes and there was something unreadable in Liam’s gaze. 

“I…” Liam swallowed. “Lord Malik said some cruel things to Zayn before we met up with you all in the temple. It’s why Zayn was so eager to leave. His father saw Zayn helping me onto my horse. Apparently, something about it made him suspicious and he jumped to the conclusion that I had replaced the Prince in Zayn’s eyes.” 

“Have you?” Gemma asked gently. 

Liam smiled a confused and slightly hopeful smile. “I don’t think so.”

Gemma glanced back towards camp, spotting Zayn and Louis talking through the trees. Zayn caught sight of Liam and Gemma and while Liam didn’t notice since he was drying towels with an impressive concentration, Gemma saw the look of fondness Zayn had as he looked at Liam. 

“I wouldn’t write it off just yet,” Gemma said with a nod, grinning down. Liam didn’t look up at her or respond, but his cheeks pinked and Gemma could see a small grin on his face.

It wasn’t until several weeks later when they were finally boarding the ship off the coast of India and bidding Lord Malik’s men farewell, that she realized why Liam’s smile had caught her off guard. 

The ship was a masterpiece and Gemma couldn’t help but giggle as Liam drug them all around the ship, exploring the fancy dining room, showing Eliza the artwork, and teasing Zayn about how he’d have to learn to be civilized again after living in tents in the jungle for so many years. He was cheerful and animated, and Niall nudged Gemma in the ribs when Zayn and Liam seemed to constantly be in each other’s company.

It was a quiet night, a few days into their journey. Louis and Harry were settling Eliza into bed in the room she was sharing with Gemma, allowing the two men to have a bit of privacy. Niall was whistling to himself, sketching and writing in his journal on the deck attached to their rooms, sipping on an after-dinner whiskey, and Garnet, who Eliza refused to leave in the jungle, was resting at his feet. Liam and Zayn were at the railing, talking quietly together.

Gemma watched Liam and Zayn step back into their room just for a moment. They didn’t linger, and their behavior didn’t give her any reason to suspect anything. All except for Liam’s smile. It occurred to her then, sitting next to Niall, watching India become smaller and smaller in the distance, listening to Louis and Harry bicker with Eliza about the placement of her journal on the nightstand, that Gemma had her realization about Liam’s smile. 

It was the same smile he’d saved especially for Sophia, all those years ago, when she was more special to him than anybody. It was a gentle smile, tender, and it filled Liam’s face, even if it was soft in its delivery. Gemma saw Zayn catch the smile, and if she believed in magic, she’d have said right then and there, that whatever was happening between her oldest friend and newest comrade, was nothing short of magical.

____   
  


It was another quiet evening. They were somewhere in the Mediterranean now, closer and closer to home. Niall and Liam sat on deck chairs, watching Zayn and Louis teach Eliza how to play shuffleboard. Harry was off in the library, sent by Gemma to find a few books for her. Gemma herself was dashing along the deck with Eliza, chasing their discs and completely abandoning the rules of the game. 

“Niall,” Liam said quietly, “may I ask you something?” 

Niall turned to Liam in surprise. “Of course,” Niall said, pulling his eyes away from Eliza leaping into Louis’s arms, only to find herself being tickled mercilessly. 

“I…” Liam started, pausing and glancing to their friends. His eyes fell on Zayn and Niall nodded once to himself. 

“Is this about Zayn, Liam?” Niall asked. The look in Liam’s eye confirmed Niall’s question and Niall couldn’t help but automatically make a note to find Gemma later. She’d want to hear about this. 

“What his father said…” Liam continued, “about seeing Zayn with another man.” He glanced down at his hands and sighed. “I told Gemma it was just his father misunderstanding but…” 

“Did something happen?” Niall felt his brain going a mile a minute. Of course, something had to have happened. It hadn’t been brought up as they’d traveled. Zayn seemed rather keen on leaving his father and his life in the jungle behind, even if he was hurt. Harry had tried to bring it up one night and Zayn had asked him to leave it. No one had spoken of Lord Malik’s abandonment of his son again. 

Liam wrung his hands in his lap and sighed. 

“He kissed me.” 

“Lord Malik?” Niall teased, gently shoving Liam in the shoulder. Liam looked up at Niall, a small grin on his face, chuckling good-naturedly. 

“Zayn did. Zayn kissed me,” Liam said and he glanced up at Zayn again, his eyes following Zayn as he raced Eliza up and down the deck. Louis and Gemma were laughing uproariously. 

Niall grinned at his friend. “That’s good, isn’t it? Anyone with eyes could see you care about him.”

Liam shrugged. “I don’t know how to do this.”

“This?” 

“Be with someone.”

“You were with Lady Sophia for over a year,” Niall pointed out. 

“She was… safe,” Liam said. “Nothing could happen because technically she was never mine to begin with.” He paused and sighed again. “Zayn… could be. Mine.” 

Niall glanced back at their friends. Harry had returned and, in the privacy of the empty deck, Louis had slid an arm around Harry’s waist. They were whispering to one other, their heads bent close together. The care they felt for each other was obvious, a bright signal on their faces. Louis’s eyes crinkled at something Harry said, and Harry’s dimples showed in his smile. They were wrapped up in their own world. Gemma caught Niall’s eye across the deck and grinned fondly at him. Niall couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps Harry and Louis wouldn’t be the only lucky ones. 

Niall looked back at Liam, who was gazing at him curiously. Niall shrugged. 

“You’re not the only one who doesn’t know what they’re doing,” Niall said. He glanced at Gemma. 

“Gemma?” Liam asked. 

“Gemma,” Niall confirmed. “I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about her.” He hadn’t said those exact words out loud to anyone yet, even himself, and even as he spoke them, he knew they were true. He hadn’t expected it at the beginning of their journey into the jungle, but the more he’d spent time with her, through their adventures and traveling and almost losing Liam, almost losing his own life, he’d come to respect her like no one else he’d known, even Louis. Even, and this scared him, his mother. 

He probably should have thought of his mother a bit more when he was running through the temple to fix the dynamite. But instead, all he’d wanted was to run back to Gemma, pull her into his arms and hold her close. Running away from her had been the hardest thing he’d done. 

The only problem was… he wasn’t sure how to run back to her. Not with his baggage and his mother. What if they weren’t compatible like he thought? What if they would return home and find they weren’t as close of friends as they’d come to be in the jungle? 

The what ifs were interrupted by Liam and Niall found himself grateful to his friend. He didn’t know how to answer any of those questions… aside from talking to Gemma herself.

Liam chuckled to himself. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?”

“I suppose so,” Niall said with a grin. “We’ll sort it out. Or at least, let’s hope our two smarter halves figure out how to help us figure it out.” 

Liam smirked. “You’re calling Gemma your smarter half?” 

“I called Zayn yours too,” Niall countered with a laugh. 

Liam hummed. “True indeed.” 

Zayn left Harry and Louis gazing out over the ocean and Gemma kneeling next to Eliza while they caught their breath. He walked over, his eyes on Liam. Niall couldn’t help but notice the way Liam perked up at Zayn’s appearance. 

“Would you like to go on a walk, Li?” Zayn asked after telling them both hello. 

Liam glanced over at Niall, who made a shooing motion with his hands. 

“Go walk,” Niall said. “You were distracting me from my writing anyways.” He grinned as Liam stood. His wounds were mostly healed now, occasionally giving him a bit of grief. But somehow, Zayn never seemed to be too far away that he couldn’t help. 

Niall watched the two men walk away, Liam’s hand on Zayn’s lower back, Zayn’s shoulder bumping into Liam’s. Eliza, Louis, and Harry were seated in deck chairs a few down from Niall.  Niall settled back in his chair. He wrote a few words then looked up to think, only to find his breath taken away instead. 

Gemma stood at the railing, gazing out to sea. She had her chin resting in her hand, a thoughtful, peaceful look on her face. She hadn’t changed back into the dresses and gowns expected of her just yet, still content to wear her breeches and blouse until the last possible minute. The wind gently blew a loose strand from her updo, and the setting sun beyond her backlit her in colors of pink, purple, blue, and gold. Niall found himself standing, placing his journal on the deck chair and walking over to her, drawn to be by her side by some unknown force in his chest. 

“Gems,” he said quietly, so as not to startle her out of a thought. He came to stand next to her, resting his arm on the railing and facing her fully. If he moved forward just an inch, her shoulder would brush his chest. 

“Niall,” she replied with a smile, turning to face him too. Her arm rested on the railing near his elbow and Niall could feel the gentle heat emanating from her. 

“You looked lost in thought,” Niall said and he smiled at the rueful look on her face.  

Gemma smirked. “Were you coming to rescue me from my mind?” she teased but Niall could see something searching in her gaze. They shared a laugh and Niall looked down at their shoes, his movement brushing his elbow against her arm. 

“You don’t need my help to be rescued,” Niall said with his usual grin. “I figured I could keep you company.” It could easily have been taken as a temporary statement, but Gemma was the smartest woman Niall knew. Her demeanor changed, less playful and more serious as his words settled around her. He wanted to keep her company for more than just an evening on the deck and she knew it.

Gemma hummed, the laughter replaced by a tender twinkle in her eye. “Think you can keep up?” 

Niall didn’t reply at first, just slid his arm closer to hers on the railing, tangling their fingers together, before looking up at Gemma, the sun making her appear to glow. He smiled at the grin on her face and reached to join their opposite hands, taking a half step closer to her. He gazed down at her, wondering if this was how he’d feel if he got to look at her like this, be this close to her, every day of the rest of his life. Suddenly, the what ifs and the questions didn’t seem too frightening.

“I’d like to try,” he said. She gave his hands a squeeze. 

“Good,” Gemma said, the twinkle in her eye glittering. “I was hoping you would.” 

Niall chuckled, and leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. 

“More than anything,” he said. 

The sunset behind them, their companions made their way to bed, but Niall and Gemma stayed at the railing till the light filtered away from the horizon, till the stars began to twinkle in the sky and the moon hung bright amongst them. Their ship sailed onward, returning them home with much more than when they’d left and Niall fell asleep that night with a grin on his face. 

Unbeknownst to him, Gemma shared the same grin in her sleep. And when Louis asked Niall the next day why the two of them were so happy, Niall could only shrug. Gemma giggled and they took a walk on the deck, Niall finally finding the courage to open his heart. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment or give kudos if you liked it! Find me on Tumblr [here](https://iamasphodelknox.tumblr.com/) and share the Masterpost for the story [here](https://iamasphodelknox.tumblr.com/post/163692384544/title-the-art-of-the-giants-author-asphodelknox) if you like it!


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